Thanks to your generosity, we are very pleased to announce that last May Career Bridges awarded over $45,000 in grants to twenty-three deserving young artists. These singers sang before our panel of experts, and are receiving up to $2000 in grants each to study in the areas that the panel recommended.

Thus, in our third year, we have fulfilled our purpose of providing three years of continuing mentoring and financial support to each of our grant winners. A Gala concert on May 9, 2005, in New York City presented these talented young 2005 winners to the general public. Joining them and delighting the audience was the fabulous Metropolitan Opera Baritone, Earl Patriarco.

To continue supporting our singers and to provide the opportunity to our future winners to fulfill their potential, we depend on your contributions.

For more information, including how you can be a part of our important work, visit our website at http://www.careerbridges.org or write us at:
81 Pondfield Road #346
Bronxville, NY 10708.

Sincerely,
David Schuyler Bender, founder
Barbara Meister Bender, co-founder

Metropolitan Opera Baritone, Earl Patriarco,
Gala Opera Star.

George Jellineck, Barbara Meister Bender,
Renata Scotto

Career Bridges' Distinguished Achievement Award was presented to Metropolitan Opera Soprano, Diva, Renata Scotto, and the renowned broadcaster and educator, George Jellineck.

Madamma Scotto's legendary career has spanned over 30 years of international renown and artistry. Her "second career" as a prominent stage director at all the major opera houses in the world, as well as her Renata Scotto Vocal Academy at the Music Conservatory of Westchester have had a profound influence on young singers, serving as an example of excellence and a teacher of the grand Bel Canto tradition.

One of the oldest and best-loved facets of New York's opera life was George Jellinek's weekly radio program, "The Vocal Scene," . For some 36 years, he brought his humor and vast knowledge of opera and vocal music as well as presenting to the WQXR audience new and soon to be great opera stars.

His voice as at least as integral to the pleasure of the program as are those of the opera singers which filled the hour with gorgeous sound. It is a voice with a slight hoarseness and a pronounced foreign accent. It is a voice also inflected by cheerfulness, kindliness, and intelligence.

From left to right: Chris Cooley Accompanist, Laurence Broderick, Michelle-Serrano Möritz, Yonghoon Lee, Marsha Thompson, Adelmo Guidarelli.

On September 9, 2005, Career Bridges Grant Winners, Michelle Serrano-Möritz, Marsha Thompson, sopranos, Laurence Broderick, Yonghoon Lee, tenors, and Adelmo Guidarelli, baritone, with Chris Cooley, accompanist, were presented in a gala performance at the prestigious RavelloFestival in Ravello, Italy.

From Vienna to Broadway to Ravello with Love" was saluted with two standing ovations. Music from the Merry Widow, The Studentt Prince, Showboat, South Pacific, Stop the World were the highlighted features.

Laurence, and Yonghun surprised and delighted the audience with a "duel" version of "Amor ti Vieta"; an encore revealed their true friendship.

Since last May, several of our 2003 and 2004 winners have made great progress or have launched their careers. Marsha Thompson sang her first Violetta in La Traviata with the Mississippi Opera. Yonghoon Lee, Grand Prize Winner of the Lucia Albanese Puccini Foundation and The Opera Index Awards.  Adelmo Guidarelli, recently founded "Voices Among Us", a TV musical variety show with an audience of over 3 million people a week.  Sara Jane McMahon, is in her 2nd year with the Los Angeles Opera, and made  her New Orleans Opera debut as Valencienne in The Merry Widow.

Chen Reiss had great successes at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich as Gilda (Rigoletto) and Nannetta (Falstaff) conducted by Zubin Mehta, and made her debut at the Salzburg Festival singing Mendelssohn¹s A Midsummer Night¹s Dream. Elizabeth Batton, recent successes include Carmen in China with the China Philharmonic and Maddelena with the Indianapolis opera, and Zuzka in Foerster's Eva the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland.

Thanks to your support, these young artists have been able to start their careers. More news of our artists in our next newsletter.

Gisela Aulmann, Barbara Meister Bender, David Schuyler Bender, Joseryl Beckley, Noah Stuart, John Dominick III, Laurence Broderick et al.

Career Bridges in conjunction with the Aulmann Gesangs-Institut presented a 10 day intensive workshop and performance festival in Gummersbach near Cologne, Germany. Prominently feture was the master Class of Charles Riecker. 15 performers including 4 Career Bridges winners took part all of the phases including 4 performances for the general public. Critics were delighted "these singers not only showed exceptional voices but presented themselves in an exciting dramatic way that totally delighted the audience."

Career Bridges' mission is to provide innovative, practical and top-quality professional counsel, training and performance opportunities to qualified young operatic singers so that they will be ready to launch their careers.

Meet our Class of 2005. We are proud and delighted to be able to support and provide a "career bridge" for these talented young performers.

Joseryl Beckley, soprano, was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where she studied economics at the University of Sierra Leone as well as voice, piano, and music theory from the Ballanta Academy of Music. It did not take her long to realize her first love was music and she graduated with her Master of Music Degree from Indiana in December of 2004. Recent performances include featured soloist in the Gummersbach/ Cologne Vocal Institute Gala Concert in July and alto soloist in the Messiah with the American Classical Orchestra in Mamaroneck, NY.

Elona Ceno, soprano, Born in Albania, Elona graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from the Academy of Arts in Tirana, Albania, and just received her Master of Music degree from the Mannes College of Music in New York. She has received encouragement and study grants from the Gerda Lissner Foundation and the Arlene Auger Memorial Fund. She was a finalist with the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions this past March.

Vanessa Diamond, Mezzo soprano, is a Columbian-American born in New York. She is completing her Master of Music from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College. She has performed with the Lyrique-en-Mer Festival in France, the IIVA summer festival in Chiari, Italy, as well as solo recitals in Budapest. She recently apppeard in a joint Zarzuela recital at CAMI Hall with Los Amigos de la Zarzuela. Concert appearances include Mozart's Requiem and Bernstein's Jeremiah with the Queens College Orchestra.

John Dominick III, bass, was born and raised in Central Louisiana He has delighted audiences singing in Brazil, Alaska, England, Australia and Indonesia. John has performed with the Delaware Valley Opera, Sarasota Opera, New York City Opera in the debut of Dead Man Walking, and the Natchez Opera Festival. He recently was featured soloist in the Gummersbach/ Cologne Vocal Institute Gala Concert in July and bass soloist in the Messiah with the American Classical Orchestra in Mamaroneck, NY. John is a grant winner of the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation.

Stephanie Dawn Johnson, soprano, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, received her Master of Music degree at the Indiana University School of Music. Her opera credits include Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, with the San Francisco Opera Western Opera Theater, and Violetta in La Traviata with the Bronx Opera. She is a recipient of the San Francisco Opera Merola Career Grant.

Mariya Krywaniuk, soprano, is a native of Vancouver, Canada. She has received her Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music. Maria was a Finalist and award winner of the Altamurro/Caruso International Voice Competition. In 2003, Marija was a New York District winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and a prize winner in the Gerda Lisssner Competition. In the spring of 2006, Mariya will be heard as Marguerite in Amato Opera's production of Faust.

Yonghoon Lee, tenor, graduated from the Seoul National University Conservatory, and is completing his studies at the Mannes College of Music. He is first place winner of the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation Vocal Competition. He recently performed the role of Don Jose in Carmen and Cavaradossi in Tosca with the Opera Company of Middlebury, Vermont. This fall he was awarded Grand Prize Winner from the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation, and as well as Grand Prize Winner from Opera Index.

Lori Lind, soprano, received her Master of Music from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and apprenticed with the Tri-Cities opera in Binghamton, New York, where she performed many leading roles including Nedda in I Pagliacci . She was recently declared Grand Prize Winner in the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, and sang her first Leonora in Il Trovatore with the Opera in the Heights in Houston.

Andrea Moore, soprano, is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music under the tutorledge of George Shirley. She just won first place in the Junior Division of the National Opera Association, She was awarded "Best of Show" for the 2005 Collage Concert At the University of Michigan. Upcoming performances include Marianne in Tartuffe by Kirke Mechem with the Michigan Opera Theater and various recital engagements.

Jason Kaminski, baritone, received his Master of Music Degree from the University of Maryland, and is a member of the Spectrum Resident Opera Artist with the Virginia Opera. He is a winner of the Marcella Sembrich Vocal Competition in 2004, and earned second place in the Paul Robeson Vocal Competition in Washington D.C. This fall he made his main stage debut as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliette with the Virginia Opera.

Julia Spanja, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, is currently a Masters student in New York University's Department of Music and Performing Arts vocal performance program under the tutelage of Michael Ricciardone.

Julia has recently been seen as Hansel in "Hansel and Gretel" and will be performing the role of Dido in "Dido and Aeneas" under the direction of Martha Collins. Having recently been accepted into the Singer Circle non-resident group of New Jersey Opera Theatre, Julia will be covering the role of Meg Page in Verdi's "Falstaff".

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