Dear Friends of the Educational Bridge Project, 

Welcome to the 2010 festivals of the Educational Bridge Project! This year our 17^th festival took place in May in St. Petersburg and our 18^th is begins in Boston tomorrow!

During the thirteen years of the Project’s existence since 1997, many changes have taken place.  At the turn of the 21^st century contemporary American music was still little known in Russia, and contemporary Russian music was little known in the US.  Now, thirteen years later, the situation is different, and we are proud to say that the Educational Bridge Project has made a significant contribution to the understanding that these two nations have for each other’s cultures.

We still have to learn many things but we are glad that the format we developed for our first festival still works well and allows us to give our participants not only enough time and events to work together but free time to spend together – dining, touring, and simply, talking and laughing.  What we have noticed is that language barriers are broken much easier that way!

Seventeen festivals are behind us; hundreds of American and Russian musicians, art historians, college professors and students have taken part in the festivals and shared roles as both hosts and guests.  It is marvelous to witness people from our two countries becoming closer to each other.

Ludmilla Leibman

Executive director