Following two triumphant co-productions with the Savannah Music Festival last spring and strong ticket sales for the fourth annual Savannah VOICE Festival next month, it is clear that the Savannah VOICE Festival continues to build community support and encouragement from area businesses and nonprofits, cementing its status as one of the Coastal Empire’s most endorsed and treasured musical traditions.

The Festival’s VOICE programs, which are designed to provide inspiring and mission-based support to students in the form of musical outreach, were bolstered recently by five local monetary grants.

Significant grants from the non-profit organization, the Savannah Friends of Music combined with additional educational funding provided by the Kole Family Foundation and a grant from Gulfstream, will help fund the SVF’s community outreach programs in public schools in Chatham County and for an initiative with Savannah’s Bethesda Academy.

Children in grades six through 12 receive instruction and guidance on classical and Broadway music genres. Festival representatives work with the students, interact with them in vocal workshops, facilitate field trips to concerts and help host a special annual event at Bethesda that raises awareness and support for the school. In addition, outreach takes place at local senior living facilities and Chatham County hospitals.

Don Kole from the Kole Family Foundation said, “We are delighted to support these world class educational opportunities in culture and the arts in Savannah, as this is a world-class city.”

The Savannah Harbor Foundation, a nonprofit that supports local children's charities, also chose to support the VOICE programs this year. The charitable organization named the VOICExperience among its 2016 grant recipients and awarded the festival a grant towards program funding.The National Endowment for the Arts awarded funding to support SVF’s specially commissioned Savannah-centric opera by composer-in-residence Michael Ching.

“Alice Ryley, A Savannah Ghost Story” first debuted in October 2015 to sold-out hometown audiences and will be performed on Aug. 16 at the 2016 Festival.

“We’re so grateful for the financial support we receive from foundations and other organizations, companies and individuals – without whom none of our work would be possible. The Savannah VOICE Festival is focused on reaching out to Title 1 schools in Chatham and neighboring counties,” said Maria Zouves, who co-founded the festival with her husband, legendary operatic baritone Sherrill Milnes. “In addition to outreach efforts, we host free education events, teen workshops and master classes, and award scholarships for area artists. It’s so important to sculpt and guide young talent, and that’s why we’re intent on providing these opportunities to students.”

The Savannah VOICE Festival brings classical vocal excellence to Savannah through a two-week celebration of concerts, events and educational presentations during August and throughout the year.

The programs range from opera and classical music to musical theater and popular song, and offer accessible events to the public while highlighting the value the vocal arts bring to the quality of life. For more information, go to www. Savannahvoicefestival.org, email [email protected] or call 855-766-7372.