The Handel and Haydn Society is recognized as a leader and innovator in providing music education to public school students. The Society established the Vocal Apprenticeship Program (VAP) in 1994 to identify and nurture youngsters with special talent whose families lack the financial resources to pursue private instruction. The Barbara E. Maze Award for Musical Excellence extends the Society's support to an outstanding VAP alumnus with a cash award of $2,000 given to a high school graduate who intends to continue professional vocal instruction.

The award is named in honor of Handel and Haydn Society Governor Barbara E. Maze, who was instrumental in creating VAP. Ms. Maze was Chair of the Society’s Cultural Diversity Committee, and a member of the Handel and Haydn Educational Outreach Committee. She was a retired Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for Boston University where, for nearly 40 years, she influenced many students in their pursuit of a professional music career. Ms. Maze was the National Chairperson for the Leontyne Price Vocal Arts Competition, and President of Project STEP.

For more information, please contact Robin Baker, Director of Education at 617 262 1815, x126 or rbaker@handelandhaydn.org.

Winners of the Barbara E. Maze Award

• 2010 Ashley Buckhout

  Ashley Buckhout was a member of the Society’s Young Women’s Chorus from 2005-2007, studied voice with Brett Johnson, and is a graduate of Haverhill High School. She attended the Cleveland Institute of Music during 2007-2009, took a year off to study diction last fall in Italy, and sang in a small ensemble for Telemann’s St. Luke Passion last March with Boston Baroque.

  She has been accepted as a transfer student to McGill University this September to major in vocal performance and study with Sanford Sylvan. Ashley will also participate in The Coaching Divas program in Boston July 10-24, under the artistic direction of Sondra Kelly and Michelle Brown.

• 2009 Meredith Lustig
  Meredith Lustig was in VAP from 2001-2005 as a Young Women's Chorus member and a VAP Soloist from 2002-2004, studying with Clara Sandler at NEC and Angela Gooch at Walnut Hill School. She is a graduate of the Walnut Hill School and earned her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from the Juilliard School (as a student of Edith Bers) this May. Meredith won the 2005 Candace MacMillen Achtmeyer Award, and was a recipient of the Bel Canto Institute Award and New York Opera Project Award in 2006. She is currently enrolled in the master's degree program at Juilliard for vocal performance.
• 2008 Wenqian Wang

  Wenqian (Wendy) Wang has studied voice with Barbara Winchester and Sahar Hassan at NEC, theory with Rodney Lister, and piano with Sarah Koonce. Ms. Wang entered VAP in 7th grade with the Society's Youth Chorus and is also a member of the Young Women's Chorus; she has been a VAP Soloist from 2005-2007. Wendy is the first place winner of the 2007 NEC High School Vocal Competition, and 3rd place winner of the Harvard Musical Association Competition. She was also featured as a performer on the prestigious “From the Top” National Public Radio show in 2006. Ms. Wang is a 2007 graduate of the Boston Latin School and was the 2008 winner of the Barbara Maze Award. Wendy will graduate from the dual degree program at Harvard/New England Conservatory with a degree in sociology (Harvard '11) and vocal performance (NEC '12).

• 2006 Sheree Dunwell & Koriana (Lewis) Bradford

  Sheree Dunwell is a graduate of Classical High School, Lynn and was a member of VAP Soloists and Young Women's Chorus from 2001-2003, studying voice with Barbara Winchester. Sheree is a 2007 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (vocal performance) and also studied German at the Goethe Institute in 2005. She has performed solo roles in A Chorus Line, A Little Night Music, Merry Wives of Windsor, and Alcina, as well as backup vocals for Michael Feinstein with the Pittsburgh Pops. Sheree graduated with a B.F.A. (Music) and and an M.M. in Creative Writing with a concentration in Romance languages.

  Koriana (Lewis) Bradford was a member of the Society's Treble Ensemble (now known as the Young Women's Chorus) in 2000-2001, and also performed in the Massachusetts All-State Choir. She has been the Program Director for the Hamilton-Garrett Music and Arts Academy in Roxbury (an afterschool music and arts program for at-risk youth) since 2006. She was also appointed the Director of Music at the Charles St. AME Church in 2008. Koriana is a graduate of the Berklee School of Music and the Boston Latin School. She is working on her own CD with her younger brother, an aspiring Music Producer, also at the Berklee School.

• 2005 Christine Duncan

  Christine Duncan is a 2001 graduate of the Parker Charter School. During her seven years in VAP (1994-2001), Christine sang with the Youth Chorus, Young Women's Chorus, NEC Youth Chorale, and High School Soloists, studying voice with Janice Giampa and chamber music at New England Conservatory. She is the first recipient of the Vocal Apprentice award. Christine was a Development Assistant for the Society during 2006-2007 and traveled throughout Europe this past summer, singing with the Village Harmony Choir. She graduated in 2005 from Connecticut College as music major with a concentration in vocal performance. In 2004, she received an internship in Madrid to sing and direct two community choruses as part of the Center for International Studies and Liberal Arts certificate program. Christine also earned a M.M. in vocal performance from Longy School of Music, where she studied with Jayne West.

• 2004 Sarah Mawn

  Sarah is currently music director at Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton, MA, where she teaches voice, chorus, and band. Sarah earned dual music performance and music education degrees in 2006, and a M.M. in vocal performance from University of Southern Maine, Gorham, where she studied voice with Ellen Chickering. She was a Young Artist with the PORTopera program from 2006-2009. She has won numerous awards to encourage her career, including the Portland Rossini Club's Rand Award and the Lillian Nordica Award. Sarah was the first person to win both Handel and Haydn Society's Achtmeyer Award and the Society's Maze Award. Sarah participated in VAP and the Young Women's Chorus for three years (1999-2002) and sang in the Massachusetts All-State Chorus as a senior.

• 2002 Joseph Holmes

  Joseph Holmes was a VAP participant in 1998-99 (1999 Wakefield High School graduate) and attended Oberlin Conservatory and New England Conservatory. He was a regional semi-finalist in the 2006 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Joseph enjoys an active performing schedule with appearances with Opera Providence, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Central City Opera, Cleveland Orchestra, Lyric Opera Cleveland, and Boston Bel Canto Opera. He made his debut with Boston Lyric Opera in 2007's Un Ballo in Maschera, conducted by Stephen Lord.

• 2001 Elaine Allard & Sarah Matteucci

  Elaine Allard is a graduate of Brockton High School and took private voice, masterclasses, and vocal chamber music at NEC in the Vocal Apprenticeship Program. Although she did not pursue music professionally, it has kept her busy for years. Elaine been singing as a member and soloist with the University of Pennsylvania Choir and Chamber Singers since 2004, and has sung as a scholarship recipient with the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia and as alto soloist at Old St. Joseph's and University Lutheran churches in Philadelphia. Currently, Elaine is a doctoral student in educational linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and teaches in the Educational Studies department at her alma mater, Swarthmore College.

  Sarah Matteucci graduated from Barnard College in 2003. She has performed in New York with the Vital Theatre Company, the 78th Street Theatre Lab, and Columbia University, with such roles as Jenny in Company, and B3 in The B-File. Her credits include Maria in West Side Story, Queen Aggravaine in Once Upon a Mattress, and Crystal in Little Shop of Horrors. She is a graduate of Melrose High and was in VAP from 1994-99, starting in the Youth Chorus. Through VAP, Sarah took private voice lessons, theory, NEC Youth Chorale, vocal chamber music, and masterclasses at NEC.

• 2000 Kelly Graeber

  Kelly (Magnuson) Graeber is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine-Gorham (B.M. Vocal Performance) and the Boston Conservatory (M.M.Ed. Music Education). She has sung solo roles with Opera By The Bay and MassTheatrica. Kelly joins the music faculty (general music and chorus) at the Tobin K-8 School in Cambridge this fall, and maintains a piano studio in Quincy. Recently she portrayed the role of Grace in Annie. She was in VAP from 1994-1997, and graduated from North Quincy High School.

• 1999 Triana Chez

  Triana Chez, a graduate of Lynn Classical High School, was selected as the 1999 winner of the second annual Barbara Maze Award for Musical Excellence. Ms. Chez, a VAP Apprentice from 1994-1999, studied voice with NEC Faculty member Janice Giampa and piano with Calvin Herst at Community Music Center. She has been singing with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus since 2005 and joined them on their European tour in August with the BSO.

• 1998 Nicole (Ameduri) Gonul

  Nicole (Ameduri) Gonul, soprano, is from Boston and is currently pursuing her career in New York City. Nicole was the first winner of the Barbara E. Maze Award for Musical Excellence, awarded in 1998. She has participated in Young Artist Programs including Boston University Opera Institute, Anchorage Opera Studio, Caramoor Young Artist Ensemble, and Aspen Opera Theater Center. She has also win a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the McCallister Awards. She won 2nd place in the National Opera Association Voice Competition, college division, and 2nd place in the Marie E. Crump Vocal Arts Awards Competition. She has performed the roles of Juliette, Michaela, Donna Elvira, Laetitia, Gretel, Composer, and Sandman. She performed as Lady in Waiting in Verdi's Macbeth for the Dayton Opera, and sang the role of Adele in Die Fledermaus with New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera in 2009. Nicole holds music degrees from Boston University, Peabody Conservatory, and the Opera Institute at Boston University.