The Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra (PCO) has been taking advantage of an abundance of musical talent in the South Hills for 65 years.

The all-volunteer ensemble began in 1958 as the Bethel Park Orchestra, under the guidance of Harry Singer, a violinist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. It gave its first concert in 1962 at Carnegie High School, and changed its name to the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra in 1983 to better reflect the wide appeal it has for local musicians.

People join PCO for all sorts of reasons: to improve their musicianship; to be around people with similar musical interests; to get a chance to perform regularly.

Most of the members started playing their instruments as children or teens, taking lessons or playing in school orchestras. Some kept on through college. Others stopped when they began careers and families, and then were drawn back.

“I was working at PNC, and I ran into some people on a project who were talking about going to a rehearsal,” said Arlene Cook, a former Mt. Lebanon resident now living in the North Hills. “And they said they played for a community orchestra.” After attending a PCO concert, Arlene joined the viola section and is still playing some 20 years later.

Bill Ceriani, Duquesne Drive, who plays clarinet and bass clarinet, played music in college, but doesn’t have formal training, as many in the orchestra do. He heard about the group shortly after he moved to Pittsburgh in 1978.

“One of the things that’s great about the orchestra is that while a lot of people in the group have professional training and make all or part of their living making music, some of us don’t,” he said. “And we’re all welcome.”

“I didn’t have any real musical training until the age of 38,” said violinist Carol Capson, Poplar Drive. “I learned to play by ear, then I started taking lessons. Somebody recommended the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra to me, and I thought: that’s perfect, right here, so close. I’ve been in it for more than 20 years, and it’s a great opportunity to be playing.”

“When I moved here from Texas, I found a few different volunteer orchestras,” said Andrea Horton-Mericli, Fruithurst Drive, who is one of more than a dozen second violins in PCO. “I visited each one and ended up liking Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra because it was just a friendly atmosphere and I liked the music they were playing.” She has been with the orchestra since 2014.

Others were practically born into the orchestra. Current concertmaster Paula Scandrol’s mother played principal second violin in the PCO for years. Her mother invited her to join when Scandrol was in high school.

“I like the feeling of making music with other people. I studied and practiced all those years, so I felt like I was getting a chance to use my talent,” said Scandrol, who teaches stringed instruments in the Upper St. Clair School District. “I keep learning all the time.”

Ceriani, who retired from a career as a labor statistician for the state, has been playing clarinet since he was 9 years old and loves it. “One of the great advantages of playing music is that you can do it all your life. That’s not true of, say, basketball. We’ve had people in the orchestra who are in their 90s,” he said.

Mary Bragdon, Parkway Drive, finds the social aspects nearly as important as the musical ones. “It’s an outlet to play and a musical community,” said Bragdon, a violist, “but also just a lot of fun.”

“It’s a very close-knit group of people who appreciate each other and are eager to be there and happy for the opportunity to be playing together,” said Capson.

Horton-Mericli agrees. “It does keep me on my toes and challenged,” she said. “I learn from the director and from the other musicians. Every season gets a tad more challenging, so you can grow as a musician.”

Alejandro Pinzón, PCO’s director since 2022, has a master’s degree in conducting from the University of Texas and completed doctoral studies in orchestra conducting at West Virginia University. He also teaches and performs on the bandoneon, the complex instrument of the tango.

Pinzón is working on strengthening the orchestra after its pandemic pause. “Since we regrouped and came back in 2022, we’ve been striving to enhance the group in every aspect, diversifying our programming, and having a renewed presence in our community,” he said. “It is our common goal to continue this path of growth to enrich the lives of our membership and our audience.”

The orchestra currently performs four concerts a year between September and May, and rehearses every Tuesday night during the school year. The PCO has performed recently in local churches, but is looking for a more permanent space. Concerts are free, but donations are encouraged. Classical selections are usually grouped around a theme, such as Fanfare or March Madness. Ones for the 2024-25 year include America the Beautiful; The Pipe Organ, which included holiday favorites; Mozart and Friends; and Fifth of May, “ending our season with a fiesta!”

Members come from all walks of life, from music teachers to tech specialists to nannies. Their common bond is the joy of playing together in a professionally led ensemble.

“It’s just so nice to be around others who enjoy the music as much as you do,” said Horton-Mericli.

“There are a lot of lifelong connections,” said Scandrol. “The orchestra’s become a family in itself.”