Dear Friends,

The Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges' First Scholarship Awards Concert took place during a Gala Awards Concert and Reception on Sunday, May 4, at the Kosciusko Foundation, 15 East 65th Street, New York City. Over $20,000 was awarded to 11 talented young Operatic Singers.

During the concert Career Bridges presented its Distinguished Achievement Award to Metropolitan Opera Stars Soprano Roberta Peters and Baritone Theodor Uppman. Honorary chair of the event was Metropolitan Diva Ris‘ Stevens.

These awards were presented by The Honorable Livia S. Sylva, former Commissioner to the United Nations appointed by Rudolph Giuliani, and Charles Riecker Former Artistic Administrator at the Metropolitan Opera.

What makes Career Bridges unique is that we have brought together an international panel comprised of the most qualified experts in their fields: conductors, singers, coaches, stage directors, agents, opera and concert impresarios.

This panel has identified the needs of each selected young artist. Based on their recommendations, Career Bridges has provided scholarships grants averaging $2000 each for coaching in diction, language, and repertory and stage deportment. Further grants include performance opportunities, and assistance in career promotion.

These winners will return for the next two years to sing before the panel, who will determine their progress and renew the scholarships in the needed areas. We plan to increase the dollar amount and to award scholarships to a new group of singers next year as well. The cost of repertory study, photos, languages, opera workshops, etc., can exceed over $6,000 a year per individual, and that does not include the ongoing and necessary study of voice.

For more information, including how you can be a part of our important work, visit our website at http://www.careerbridges.org/.

Sincerely,

David Schuyler Bender, Executive and
Artistic Director
Barbara Meister Bender, Co-Artistic

You can view a photo album from our first annual awards concert online at Career Bridges' website - http://www.careerbridges.org/.

Meet our Class of 2003. We are proud and delighted to be able to support and provide a "career bridge" for these talented young performers. They are, in alphabetical order:

Nicole Aiossa, Soprano: From Long Island, NY, Nicole received her Master's Degree from New York University where she won the 1999-2000 Award for Outstanding Student in Classical Vocal Studies at NYU. Nicole has sung Musetta with the North Jersey Philharmonic and Yum-Yum with the North Shore Operetta.

Elizabeth Batton, Mezzo: Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, received her Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and is a winner of the Metropolitan National Council Competition, 2000 and The Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition, among others. Elizabeth has performed leading roles with the Los Angeles Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Pacific and Opera North, to name a few.

Raymond Diaz, Baritone: a Long Island Native and graduate of SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music. Raymond has performed leading roles with the Bronx Opera and the Central City Opera. He is a winner of the Heinz Rehfuss Competition, the Mario Lanza Competition, and the Anna Maria Saritelli Di-Panni Belcanto Competition, among others.

Adrian Ganz, Baritone: From Los Angeles, California, attending the Manhattan School of Music as a full Scholarship winner. He was an apprentice at the Chautauqua Opera last summer, and as part of his scholarship will perform leading roles this summer in Rome as part of the LIAR training program.

Moira Girard, Soprano: born in Mineral Wells, Texas, received her Master's Degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Moira has appeared as an apprentice with the Virginia Opera and then as leading Soprano with the Virginia Opera, the New Orleans Opera and the Concert Opera of Philadelphia, to name a few. Her awards include Regional Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Adelmo Guidarelli, Baritone: from Greenwich, CT, Adelmo is a graduate of Jerome Hines's Musical Opera Music Theater International. He has performed with the Opera Evreux in France and the Bartok festival in Italy in addition to his performances with the New Jersey State Opera and the Palm Beach Opera. His awards include the Caruso International Voice Competition, the Amadeus Fund, and the New Jersey Alliance for Performing Artists.

Kyungsun Choi, Soprano: born in Seoul, South Korea, Master of Voice degree from Manhattan School of Music. Kyungsun is a Grand Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Awards, winner of the 2000 Liederkranz Foundation Award, the New Jersey State Opera Competition, the Gerda Lissner Foundation and a recipient of the Hugh Ross Award from the Sullivan Foundation. She has sung leading roles with the Virginia Opera, and MidAmerica Productions in Poland.

Michelle Menick, born in Port Chester, NY, Michelle received her Master's Degree in Opera Studies at Purchase College, and has performed leading roles in musical theater as well as opera and oratorio throughout the United States. In addition, she is an award-winning flautist.

Abl Moeng, Bass-baritone: born in South Africa, Abl has performed a wide range of roles in South Africa, the United States and Europe. He has his Masters Degree from the Juilliard School, and is a winner of The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Award, the Loren Zachary Prize and the National Arts and Culture South Africa Award.

Chen Reiss, Soprano, native of Israel, has appeared as leading soprano with Israel's National Theatre, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the Baroque Orchestra of Jerusalem, to name a few. She is an award winner of the 2001 Liederkranz Foundation, 2001 Marjorie Lawrence Competition, and has received scholarships from the AGA Foundation and the Israeli Vocal Arts Institute among others.

We'd like you to meet our Career Bridges panel of experts that identified the needs of each selected young artist during our recent evaluation sessions. They are:

• Millard Altman, Vocal coach, Italian Diction
• Lucy Arner, Vocal coach Metropolitan Opera
• Daniel Beckwith, International opera conductor
• Camille Coppola, Founder New Rochelle Opera
• Daniel Ferro, Professor of Voice, Juilliard
• Jeffrey James, President, Jeffrey James Arts Consulting and 4Tay Records
• Lester Kushner, Attorney at Law
• Moira Laurer, Vocal Coach, Metropolitan Opera
• Randy Mickelson, Vocal Coach, Musicologist, Musical Director of the Music Society of New York
• Susan Ormont, Voice teacher and Director of The Auditions Project
• Dr. Sherry Overholt, Professor of Voice, NYU, SUNY Purchase
• Duane Printz, Founder of the Teatro Grattacielo
• Charles Riecker, Coach, former Artistic Administrator, Metropolitan Opera
• Wayne Sanders Vocal coach, founder of Opera Ebony
• Rita Sardos, Opera Agent, Sardos, Management
• Rafael Sanchez International Fashion Designer
• Ira Siff, Vocal Coach, Author, Stage Director
• Paul Sperry, Tenor, Director of Joy in Singing
• Kristine Stearns, Director of Artistic Administration, Connecticut Grand Opera
• Dr. Barbara Meister Trasoff, French Diction Coach, author of 19th Century French Song: FaurŽ Chausson, Duparc, and Debussy
• David Triestram, Vocal coach Metropolitan Opera
• Theodor Uppman, Baritone Metropolitan Opera

Professor Bender is a graduate of Columbia University and has received Teaching fellowships at the University of Colorado, and The University of California. He is former Professor of Voice at New York University and at the Conservatory of Music in Vienna.

She began her career at the Metropolitan Opera Studio, and also sang leading roles at the New York City Opera. She was brought to Broadway following her discovery by Richard Rodgers, an event which led to her appearance on Broadway as Maria, in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, and a subsequent two year NATIONAL TOUR. She has sung with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, and in Wolf Trap, Chautauqua, Milwaukee, starring in operetta and the musical theater. She has starred on European television with appearances in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. Gala concerts with orchestras in Vienna, Munich and Berlin have brought international recognition to this "dynamic performer."

Together, Barbara Meister and David Bender, drawing on their extensive performing experience, have designed, planned, organized and given over forty master classes in singing, diction, presentational skills, and stagecraft throughout Europe and the United States.

In addition, the Benders have co-produced such productions as The Merry Widow, and The Student Prince. In these productions, they served as stage directors, coaches of singers, and artistic advisors for scenery and costumes.

David Schuyler Bender and Barbara Meister Bender were recently invested as Knight and Dame in the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, the Priory of St. Michael and George.

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