Mission

The mission of Save Our Symphony Pittsburgh is to promote and support the world-class excellence and stature of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and to ensure its preservation in our community for future generations.

Strategic Vision

SOSP is dedicated to organizing, energizing and engaging the community of orchestra lovers to help the PSO recover from the devastation caused by the recent 2-month strike. We seek to ensure that the orchestra returns to its proper position as one of the very best orchestras in the World that serves our community with superb performances and educational programs and is recognized for artistic excellence throughout the country and in the international musical world. Our near-term focus will be on the following key priorities:

  • Restoring the orchestra’s premiere artistic leadership
  • Attracting the nation’s most talented musicians to complete the orchestra’s complement
  • Driving needed changes in governance, transparency and institutional culture
  • Helping the Orchestra engage our youth and other historically underrepresented audiences
  • Encouraging the Orchestra to pursue innovative marketing efforts with a particular focus on social media
  • Empowering orchestra devotees to be effective advocates for the organization’s future

Strategies and Tactics

To achieve our mission and fulfill our vision, SOSP will be engaging the community and advocating on behalf of audience members in the following ways:

  • Working with the PSO and the community to improve relationships among all stakeholders
  • Communicating with PSO musicians, artistic leadership, management, staff and board members on a regular basis
  • Helping to restore the Orchestra’s fiscal health by supporting their marketing and fundraising activities
  • Raising awareness of issues or concerns regarding the PSO on a real-time basis through social media, publications, media releases and other appropriate avenues
  • Collecting, studying and summarizing publicly available financial, management, legal and governmental information about the Orchestra to promote transparency and keep stakeholders informed
  • Providing an online platform for information sharing and through which patrons’ voices will be heard
  • Providing tools and information to audience members to empower them to be effective advocates
  • Collaborating with the PYSO and other community arts groups, businesses and individuals
  • Working with state and local elected officials on issues needing their attention
  • Sharing our experiences with audience advocacy organizations in other communities having a similar mission

Our leadership team consists of:

Board

  • Alice Gelormino, Chair
  • Geoffrey McGovern, Vice Chair
  • Kathy Maskalick, Treasurer
  • David Maskalick, Secretary
  • Gillian Cannell
  • Connie Phillips

with

  • Mark Ozark
  • Randy Whatley

PSO musicians:

  • Micah Howard, bass
  • Susanne Park, violin
  • Mikhail Istomin, cello
  • Rhian Kenny, piccolo
  • Claudia Mahave, violin