Hello everyone,

My name is Frederick Blanchard, and my journey into music began long before I ever stepped onto a podium. It began in a hospital. I was born with Tetralogy of Fallot—three to four severe heart defects at once. The moment I entered the world, I was rushed into surgery. Three months later, another one.

Over the course of my childhood, nine procedures followed, including a major open-heart surgery in 5th grade and another at 18. My life was shaped by medical rooms, uncertainty, and the constant message that survival came first. Outside the hospital, home wasn’t easy either. My family faced instability, poverty, disability, and several periods of homelessness. My mother did everything she could, even while battling her own challenges. Through all of that, there was one thing she insisted on filling our lives with; music.

My mother adored Pavarotti. She played opera on repeat. If she wasn’t listening to Haitian Christian music, it was the great tenors or the old-world romance of Enrico Macias. That sound—the sweep of strings, the human voice carrying emotion—became the one place where life felt steady. In 5th grade, during a simple music class, I learned how to conduct a basic 4/4 pattern. Something clicked. The gesture felt natural. Like something inside me recognized itself. I didn’t grow up in a world where professional conducting felt possible. But music kept pulling me forward. One ensemble at a time. One opportunity at a time. One teacher believing in me at a time. I discovered percussion, then voice, then composition.

Eventually, I discovered that conducting was the place where all the pieces of my life came together: discipline, emotion, resilience, leadership, storytelling, and the desire to bring people together through sound. This year, something extraordinary happened—I was accepted into the Varna International Music Academy, a globally respected program where I will conduct two operas and a performance titled From Opera to Broadway. I’ll also be studying under Maestro Gregory Buchalter of the Metropolitan Opera, along with exceptional faculty in South Carolina. For someone who grew up fighting for stability, this opportunity feels like a door into the world I’ve been working toward my entire life. To participate, I need help covering tuition, lodging, and travel.

Tution deadline: May 15th

Here are the program costs:

South Carolina Tuition: $4,452

South Carolina Lodging: $1,400

South Carolina Travel: $500

Every contribution—no matter the size—helps me take this step toward building a career in professional conducting. I’m deeply grateful for anyone who chooses to be part of this moment with me. I’ll be sharing updates, rehearsals, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the work your support makes possible. Thank you for reading my story, and thank you for believing in the power of music to change lives—because it changed mine.

Updated costs paid: 3,852

Recent donors:

Eva Adolfo

Hope Lutheran Lake Weir Choir (Christmas gift)

Hope Lutheran Education Grant

Doug Bloomberg

Veronica Prevost

Victor Davila

Alex Garcia