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The Schuyler Foundation Distinguished Achievement Award for creativity in the world of design and opera will be presented Zandra Rhodes, illustrious fashion and opera designer, and to Sherrill Milnes, one of the finest Verdi baritones of the post war era, during a Gala Concert featuring the 2008 Career Bridges Grant Winners at The Essex House, 160 Central Park South, New York City on May 13, 2008 at 6:30 PM. Sherrill Milnes, Sherrill Milnes' predecessors include such illustrious names as Robert Merrill and Leonard Warren. Critics and audiences quickly recognized Milnes' gifts. He has a brilliant, high baritone, a sumptuous legato and incisive rhythmic style, allied with a commanding and handsome stage presence. He quickly graduated to the major opera houses and by 1965 had made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera. His international debuts followed soon thereafter, and Milnes became THE Verdi baritone of the 1970s and 80s. He has been a prolific recording artist with scores of opera recordings to his credit. He has often been partnered by Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti (two of the famous Three Tenors) in all of the major operatic repertoire, from Mozart to the moderns. Many of his finest studio performances are available on the Universal labels, particularly his frequent collaborations with Joan Sutherland and Pavarotti. Starting in 2001, Milnes has been bringing his experience and expertise to young rising operatic talent through V.O.I.C.E. (Vocal and Operatic Intensive Creative Experience), which he founded in 2001 with his third wife, Maria Zouves. Their workshops allow educators and performers to share their knowledge through master classes, private coachings, presentations, one-on-one consultations, lectures, and performances. They strive to create a realistic view of the many challenges that singers face throughout their career. The auditor program allows both opera lovers and singers a unique interaction in the creative process. Mr. Milnes is currently a member of the voice faculty as a teacher and coach at Northwestern University. Zandra Rhodes, Zandra has taken her world famous skills as a haut couture fashion designer and forayed into the vibrant world of Opera. Her flair for the exotic was a perfect match for her first project, designing costumes for Mozart's The Magic Flute. With its otherworldly characters and setting, her inventive and magical designs truly brought the characters to life. The Magic Flute made its debut as the first performance in the San Diego Opera's 2001 lineup and was a smashing success! Her opera design debut was such a success that she was asked to design both the costumes and the sets for Bizet's The Pearl Fishers, which debuted at the San Diego Opera in February 2004. Set in what is modern day Sri Lanka, Zandra's brilliant sets and costumes brought the sizzling heat of the tropics to adoring opera goers, making it a magnificent and unforgettable performance. In fact, The Pearl Fishers was so well received that the sets and costumes went on to opera houses in New York, San Francisco, and Michigan! In 2008 Ms. Rhodes scored a huge critical and popular success with her sets and costumes in the English National Opera Production of Verdi's Aida.
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