"I got the leading sponsor, American Family Insurance, involved in supporting
Sing for the Cure Colorado because I am an AFI agent and I had worked with
Dr. Burrichter previously. Simply stated, she is an extraordinary conductor
and person and I was willing to stake my reputation on her professionalism
and artistic excellence. I'd like to think that I was the largest fundraiser for this project, and American Family Insurance has gained high-profile and
valuable community exposure through their participation.
Thank you, Dr. Vicki!"
-Bryant Hill, Denver, CO
"Last night's performance of Sing for the Cure was an amazing experience! My only real problem was a lack of planning in that I didn't bring enough Kleenex. I started crying when I saw how many people stood, having survived breast cancer. I expected that, but was not prepared. A very pretty, slender, young blonde woman to my left stood . . . young, in the prime of her sexuality and feminine identity . . .and I just realized that she knows something about herself and life that very few women her age, who are full of adventure, romance and career simply do not. All of us are touched by life in ways we may not anticipate.
The music and the narrative were so powerful! "The Promise Lives On" really got me going and I thought with "Livin Out Loud" that I'd have a chance to recover. But then the women sang - oh my, did they sing - "Girl in The Mirror" and "Who Will Curl My Daughter's Hair" - they were just too much. I thought of my two daughters, 23 and 21 years old, who love each
other so dearly.
I'm sure the audience and the perfomers will be living this for some
time . . I know I will and I wasn't even in the choir."
-Arlen Herschberger, Director of The Spirituals Project at the University of Denver
"I had the great fortune of being a singer in Sing for the Cure Colorado. I am a breast cancer survivor and can not express how much the this project has meant to me. At the time of the auditions I was still suffering from depression related to my diagnosis, surgeries, chemo and radiation. Through the incredible artistic direction of Dr. Vicki Burrichter and the wonderful performers in this event, I felt part of something that no therapy could have provided. All through my treatments I felt lonely and empty. Music was a wonderful healing mechanism for me and I'm certain it was for other cancer victims who were participated or were in the audience. I can not thing of a more impressive way to get the message of breast cancer out than through singing.
Various family members from New York and friends flew in for the event. I knew I was finally at peace about my cancer when I looked out in the audience and saw an entire row filled with the people who mean the most to me in my life. My company purchased a row of tickets so that some of my co-workers could come and support me. Not only was the night of the concert the most wonderful night of my life but the total strangers who I met and sang with week after week gave me a renewed hope in life. Two hundred singers who are now part of my life donated their time and effort to fight breast cancer. I felt such joy singing and looking at Dr. Burrichter direct us with all of her passion and skill. She truly brings out the best in everyone she works with. She was like a beautiful butterfly taking her first flight.
-Pamela Stella, Denver, CO
History and Foundation:
Dr. Vicki Burrichter has been founding, directing and producing artistic ensembles and musical charity events for two decades. She is known in Colorado as a dedicated musical activist in the causes of gender equity, genocide awareness and gay and lesbian rights. She is respected for her ability to execute large and complex events which are artistically excellent and financially successful. In 2010, she founded and is the Producer and Artistic Director of VIART Productions LLC, a company whose mission is to produce musical /theatrical/multimedia events that raise awareness and funds for social justice issues. The first project is currently under development, and details will be revealed here as the project unfolds.
An innovative fund raiser, one of the highlights of Dr. Burrichter's career thus far was her production of Sing for the Cure Colorado, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in 2005. This secular oratorio told the story of women's (and men's) journeys through breast cancer. Conducting the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and nearly 200 singers from across Colorado, the performance also featured the photography of Carl Studna, who captured the faces of breast cancer survivors and their families. Rev. Cynthia James, television actress and recording artist, was the narrator. Honorary Chairs included three-term Governor of Colorado Dick Lamm and his wife Dottie Lamm. The event raised over $100,000 in one night (including $35,000 by the chorus members themselves) and was widely acclaimed.
Dr. Burrichter was also the conductor of Emmy Award-winning composer Denise Gentilini's project We Are Voices: For a Future Without Genocide. This event took place at the University of Denver's New man Center in 2009, and featured Denver's top female performers Hazel Miller, Beth Avedis and Sheryl Renee, as well as the Colorado Chamber Orchestra. Well-known local activists and television personalities contributed powerful testimony about their work around the globe.