College and Career Readiness Program

Brooklyn Youth Chorus’ College and Career Readiness program aims to provide support in preparation for post-secondary life to our high school aged choristers (grades 9-12) who are actively enrolled and receiving financial aid at Brooklyn Youth Chorus.

As part of Brooklyn Youth Chorus’ commitment to ADEI (Access, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), the College and Career Readiness Program offers musical, academic, and professional guidance and social support to students to ensure academic and professional success beyond high school. Whether students wish to pursue a career in music or another field, Brooklyn Youth Chorus seeks to provide opportunities for these students to have access to their desired educational and career paths.

Key Components of College and Career Readiness:

  • Small group and individual college counseling

  • College information session/panels

  • Mentorship from music industry professionals

  • Voice masterclasses with professional vocalists

  • Brooklyn Youth Chorus Advancement Scholar private voice lesson program

  • College audition preparation and recording assistance for students who major in Music

College and Career Readiness Artist Mentors (2025-2026)

Soprano Leah Hawkins is the recipient of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2024 Beverly Sills Artist Award and a graduate of their Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Additional honors include the Marian Anderson Award, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Women in Classical Music Career Advancement Award, and a Richard Tucker Foundation Career Grant. Full Bio →

Soprano Laquita Mitchell consistently earns acclaim on eminent international opera and concert stages worldwide, having recently been nominated for a Grammy for her contribution as the soprano soloist in the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec’s Sanctuary Road at Carnegie Hall with Oratorio Society of New York.
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Known for performances that “ripped the audience’s hearts out” (Opera News), Karen Slack is “not only one of the nation's most celebrated sopranos, but a leading voice in changing-making spaces in classical music” (Trilloquy).
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Davóne Tines, heralded as an artist "changing what it means to be a classical singer (The New Yorker) and “[one] of the most powerful voices of our time” (Los Angeles Times), is a pathbreaking artist whose work encompasses a diverse repertoire, ranging from early music to new commissions by leading composers, while exploring the social issues of today.
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