The Vince Calloway Customer Service Excellence Award
Cathy Trombetta is the 2026 recipient of the Vince Calloway Customer Service Excellence Award. PSO contrabassoonist Jim Rodgers, last year’s recipient, announced the honor at the Sept. 22 Pittsburgh Symphony Inc Board meeting.
PSO staff members nominate and vote to select a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony family who consistently exceeds expectations through dedication, diligence, kindness and compassion in service to the Symphony. This year’s field included many deserving nominees. Cathy exemplifies the spirit of going above and beyond. Mr. Rodgers shared the following tribute: “She has endless energy and manages to wrangle people into place and dollars out of pockets. Her love and support for the PSO for so many years and through so many events speaks for itself. In her role as PSA president, she worked tirelessly to fundraise for the PSO through the summer garden tour and the Holiday House Tour, just to name a few. She is a true force of nature, and we are fortunate to have benefited from her dedication and work on our behalf.”
The award honors the legacy of Vince Calloway, a beloved Heinz Hall institution. From the opening of Heinz Hall in 1971 until just a few months before his death in 2010, Vince welcomed patrons, opened doors, assisted them as they entered and exited their vehicles, and demonstrated genuine care for everyone he encountered.
Vince is still remembered by friends, colleagues, and patrons for his good humor, kindness, independence, generosity and dedication. His coworkers fondly recall that he brought candy and fruit to share at every concert and often prepared his famous kiwi pies for them.
In 2001, the Pittsburgh Symphony presented Vince the Customer Service Excellence Award. Because he embodied the highest standard of customer service, the annual award was subsequently named in his honor.