Friends of VS.com
Opera Vista
Houston, Texas (USA)
Opera Vista is Houston's newest contemporary opera festival. (And yours truly is Artistic/Music Director!) Opera Vista's mission is to promote contemporary opera to one of the most ignored target audiences - young adults/young professionals.
Orchestre National de France
Paris, France
Orchestre National de France is France's best orchestra right now. I was selected as one of the assistant conductors during my first Fulbright grant, and I had the opportunity to watch Maestro Masur turn a talented ensemble into a truly international orchestra. I have also had the opportunity to guest conduct this amazing orchestra twice.
Fulbright Grant
United States
The Fulbright Grant is one of America's most important tools for developing cultural understanding between countries. It was a life-changing experience for me, and I believe it is a grant that deserves more support. In a day and age where we are truly becoming a global community, it is more and more important for young people to actually live in and experience other countries. Not just for our growth as a country, but for other countries to understand us.