Our Students

Highbridge Voices students range in age from nine to seventeen and are drawn from seven District 9 schools in the Highbridge community of the South Bronx. Of these schools, none have a choir or other performing ensemble while only three have any general music programs. Our students attend eighteen hours of weekly program activities consisting of nine hours of musical training, seven hours of academics, and two hours of recreation; all of which are tuition free.

All music and academic faculty hold advanced degrees from top-tier conservatories and universities including The Juilliard School, Stanford University, The New School University, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, and Dartmouth College.  In addition, student interns assist with administrative tasks and provide additional supervision for homework sessions.  Highbridge Voices also has seven volunteers who assist with tutoring, chaperoning trips and special events, and general administrative support.

In the twelve years since it began, Highbridge Voices has distinguished itself as the premier Bronx children’s choir; having performed with Celine Dion, on Late Night with David Letterman, and at various venues throughout New York City including Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall.  During the 2009-2010 program year, Highbridge Voices enjoyed a successful season of eighteen performances, including appearances at New York City’s Metropolitan Club, the Marriott Marquis Times Square at the Citizens Housing and Planning Council annual luncheon, the James J. Peters VA Medical Center, as well as the Dicapo Opera Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and for the “Holiday Window Unveiling” at Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square along with American Idol star Katharine McPhee.  Highbridge Voices students also performed for various New York City communities at venues including The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the Nelson Avenue Senior Center in the Bronx, and at local Highbridge community schools. 

Academically, over the course of the 2009-2010 program year, Highbridge Voices students made significant gains at achieving proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. By the end of the year, nearly 70% of all students were proficient in both ELA and math compared to just under 55% at the beginning of the year. Fourth grad­ers made the most significant gains; increasing their proficiency from 50% to 83% in ELA and from 42% to 75% in math. Since 2005, twenty-seven students have completed Highbridge Voices, twenty-one of whom went on to college, and one enlisted in the military. Of the college-enrolled students, sixteen enrolled in four-year colleges, and five in two-year programs.