Thanks to you, our supporters and friends of Career Bridges Our 2008 Gala Concert and Dinner was a wonderful success. It was held at the Jumeirah Essex House in New York City, May 13, 2008. The concert featured our 2008 Grant winners, plus our distinguished Achievement Awardees; the renowned fashion and opera designer, Zandra Rhodes, and Metropolitan Opera baritone, Sherrill Milnes. The highlight of the evening was the Lucia Sextet sung by 6 of our previous winners.

Zandra Rhodes took her world famous skills as a fashion designer into the vibrant world of Opera. Her flair for the exotic, her inventiveness and magical designs have brought unique costumes and sets to The Magic Flute, The Pearl Fishers, and Aida delighting audiences of the San Diego Opera, New York City Opera, English National Opera, Houston Opera and Michigan Opera Theater among others.

Sherrill Milnes joins the list of great American baritones beginning in the 1920s with Lawrence Tibbett, Robert Merrill, Leonard Warren and Cornell MacNeil. In 1965, he 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.

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 founded in 2001 with his wife, Maria Zouves.

The core value we offer our singers is the coaching and mentoring of the most distinguished experts in the field of opera and coaches. This year, 24 voice teachers, conductors, stage directors as well as opera directors provided invaluable advice and support to our winners, showing them the path to a career and providing.

This year we are helping 23 young singers find and continue on the path to a career, careers that will ultimately benefit us all. We are grateful for your support and interest. Career Brides is committed to continuing giving the kind of support that will allow our young singers the opportunity to fulfill their potential and to achieve the greatness that will enhance all our lives. These wonderful young artists depend on your contributions.

This year Gayletha Nichols, Director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, presented two consultation sessions for our Career Bridges Winners. Her advice and coaching provided valuable insight into what is takes to have a career. Also, our deep thanks go to F. Paul Driscoll for providing advice regarding direction and focus.

Yonghoon Lee will debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 2011 with 9 performances of Verdi's Nabucco; Berlin Deutsche Oper Feb 2009 with Tosca and Don Carlo in Munich 2010, Frankfurt and Rome Operas in 2008 and 2009. Lorin Mazel picked Yonghoon to star in Barcelona's Liceo for the next three years. Angela Meade made a stunning debut at the Metropolitan Opera this month in Verdi's Ernani. Steven Ebel is to sing Jimmy Mahoney (the male lead) in Kurt Weill's The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagony conducted by James Levine at the Tanglewood Music Center. Nili Riemer is singing Rosina with the Tri-Cities Opera, Despina with the Chautauqua Opera, and Clorinda with the Florida Grand Opera. Michael Anthony McGee recently completed a two residency with  Seattle Opera Young Artists program and the Merola Program of the San Francisco Opera. Megan Hart is singing this summer with the Central City Opera. John Dominick III recently was bass soloist in Verdi's Requiem in Carnegie Hall. One of our original winners, Chen Reiss, is now an international singer, having performed leading parts at Teatro alla Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper (Munich), SemperOper (Dresden), DeutscheOper Berlin, Opera Company of Philadelphia.

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

Part of our mission is to provide much needed performance opportunities for our young stars; so they can put on the stage what they have learned in the studio.

Thanks in part to a generous grant from Entergy, our Career Bridges' singers were featured in performances at Art Centers, Country Club concerts and performances in schools throughout Westchester County. A very exciting concert was held on Fishers Island off of Long Island. A high point in our outreach program was the three day workshop and performance with the Peekskill High School in conjunction with the Paramount Arts Center The response from the participants was gratifying: "Thanks for singing. You guys did an excellent job - not only singing but teaching. By the end of our 2nd day, here I was, singing opera!! India Burgess Thank you so much for inspiring me to be an opera singer. I didn't have that much of a strong passion as I did until you guys showed up. Now I won't give up." Love, Victoria MacLennan.

Again, we are so grateful for your interest and support. Career Bridges is committed to continuing to give the kind of support that will allow these young singers the opportunity to fulfill their potential and to achieve the greatness that will enhance all our lives. Please continue to help us to help make their dreams come true.

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. (914)-665-1921

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The Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.