The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and U.S. Steel on Thursday announced a new community partnership to expand access to music education and programming in the Mon Valley.<\/p>\n
The collaboration begins immediately and focuses on providing transformative musical experiences close to home.<\/p>\n
U. S. Steel will serve as the presenting sponsor for several community-centered initiatives under the partnership, which targets Braddock, home to the Mon Valley Works \u2013 Edgar Thomson Plant and the first Carnegie Library in the U.S.<\/p>\n
This new agreement reflects a shared legacy that traces back to Andrew Carnegie, symphony officials say. Carnegie opened his first steel mill in Braddock in 1875 and established the Braddock Carnegie Library in 1889. He later served as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra\u2019s first board chair following the Orchestra\u2019s founding in 1896.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis partnership represents the best of Pittsburgh\u2019s story: industry and culture work hand in hand to serve our community,\u201d said Melia Tourangeau, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. \u201cCarnegie\u2019s philanthropic legacy connects our two organizations, and through this collaboration with U.S. Steel, we are continuing that legacy in Braddock and across the Mon Valley, ensuring that students, families and neighbors have access to transformative musical experiences close to home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The initiatives supported by U. S. Steel include \u201cFiddlesticks in Your Neighborhood,\u201d with a free family concert at Woodland Hills High School and \u201cDiscovery & Drinks\u201d at Carnegie One in Braddock. The \u201cDiscovery & Drinks\u201d series will feature chamber music, artist discussions and collaboration with local partners. <\/p>\n
U.S. Steel\u2019s sponsorship also supports the PSO\u2019s Schooltime bus fund and chamber concerts and speaking engagements at Carnegie One. The PSO\u2019s Schooltime program reached more than 22,000 students across Southwestern Pennsylvania in the 2024-2025 school year. Schools within the U. S. Steel footprint, such as West Mifflin and Woodland Hills, participated in the program. Support for transportation through the bus fund helps remove financial barriers for schools serving student populations with significantly low incomes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are excited to open doors of opportunity so members of the communities where we live and work can experience the world-class musical talent the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra brings to our region,\u201d said Kurt Barshick, vice president of U. S. Steel Mon Valley Works. \u201cCarnegie\u2019s philanthropic legacy lives on through our continued support of local schools and cultural institutions like Carnegie One and the PSO.\u201d<\/p>\n
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