The Apogee Foundation has won its second major award this year recognizing the organization's global philanthropic achievements and best-in-class business practices.

San Francisco, CA and New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/24/2010 -- The Apogee Foundation has been selected by the Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Civic and Social Associations Category. This follows Apogee's selection as the "Top Non-Profit Organization" in the FastPitch! Business Awards for the same year.

The Apogee Foundation is a global philanthropy dedicated to discover, develop, and celebrate human creative potential. The Small Business Commerce Association is a San Francisco based organization that identifies and honors institutions that demonstrate what makes small businesses great and what empowers them to become vital parts of their communities.

The SBCA's Best of Business Awards Committee selects its award laureates annually from among thousands of nominees based on statistical research, information taken from monthly surveys administered by the SBCA, review of consumer feedback, consumer rankings, and other consumer reports. The SBCA created the Best of Business Award received by Apogee this year to honor organizations that provide extraordinary civic and social benefits to their communities while employing best-in-class business practices.

The Small Business Commerce Association issued the following statement: "The Small Business Commerce Association is pleased to announce that The Apogee Foundation has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Civic and Social Associations Category. It is a privilege for the SBCA to recognize and promote the civic and social achievements and best-in-business practices that qualify Apogee for this distinction."

Apogee President Kenneth Schneider said: "We are grateful to the SBCA for honoring Apogee's global family of dedicated professionals whose ceaseless hard work and tireless commitment to fulfilling our mission have merited this laurel. In all that we do, our Foundation will seek to uphold and advance the same high standards of human excellence that it is our mission to discover, develop, and celebrate in our beneficiaries around the world."

About The Apogee Foundation ®
The term "apogee" means "the highest point, the culmination." The Apogee Foundation believes in the power of the creative arts to embody and inspire the pursuit of human excellence. By virtue of its innovative approach to implementing this vision, the Foundation has become an internationally recognized platform for the promotion of humanity's greatest vision of itself.

About The Small Business Commerce Association
The Small Business Commerce Association is a San Francisco based organization that provides tactical and operational guidance for small businesses across the country. The SBCA uses statistical research, monthly surveys, consumer feedback, rankings, and reports to identify companies that exemplify what makes small businesses a vital part of the American economy.

For more information about Apogee's receipt of the 2009 FastPitch! Business Award the "Top Non-Profit Organization", visit: http://apogeefoundation.org/media/2009/apogee_foundation_top_nonprofit.php

To view the live, online version of this article, visit: http://apogeefoundation.org/media/2010/apogee_award_best_of_business.php

Contact:
Kenneth Schneider, President
The Apogee Foundation
1001 Avenue of the Americas, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10018 (USA)
+1.646.224.6960
http://www.ApogeeFoundation.org

Small Business Commerce Association
Email: Press@SBCAAwards.org
http://www.SBCAAwards.org

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Apogee Foundation begins its 2009/2010 season with an unprecedented history of achievements and ambitious future plans to foster creative excellence worldwide.

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/27/2009 -- The Apogee Foundation has announced that in its 2009/2010 season it will build on its historic record of success by introducing new multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural programs empowering creative excellence worldwide.

Apogee President Kenneth Schneider said: "It is my pleasure to applaud the Foundation's dedicated supporters around the world for the ever higher levels of recognition and success their efforts are now achieving. The continuing expansion of the Foundation's programs around the world demonstrates the continuing importance of our work inspiring mankind to fulfill its greatest vision of itself."

During the 2008/2009 season just concluded, Apogee achieved new milestones of prominence and effectiveness, being named "Top Non-Profit" in the inaugural Fast Pitch! Business Awards: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/media/2009/apogee_foundation_top_nonprofit.php

Apogee also partnered with international media and technology group Aurience Ltd. to create greater awareness of Apogee Awards laureates, increase the impact of Apogee Academy educational programs, and expand the reach of Apogee Artists performance events worldwide: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/media/2008/aurience_apogee_kenneth_schneider.php

During the year to come, Apogee's trademark Synergy Programs, which offer artists from diverse cultural backgrounds the opportunity to transcend boundaries together, will take center stage. In the next phase of Synergy's evolution, the Foundation will be focusing on the power of sacred music as a transcendent medium to convey new forms of understanding and enable the sharing of values across cultural boundaries: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/media/2008/collaboration_spiritual_traditions.php

As Apogee begins its new season, the Foundation's efforts will be directed towards transforming creative artists' entire career paths by re-envisioning the types of institutions within which those careers evolve. These plans involve integrating the most effective educational and artistic traditions from both East and West into multi-disciplinary, global creative centers where gifted artists can achieve their fullest potential together.

The Foundation seeks to empower people everywhere to participate in its mission of fostering creative excellence. Apogee's management therefore invites the public to participate in shaping the Foundation's future agency on its behalf by responding to a brief questionnaire at the conclusion of the Foundation's recent newsletter: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/documents/newsletters/apogee_newsletter_fall_2009.pdf

About The Apogee Foundation ®
The term "apogee" means "the highest point, the culmination." The Apogee Foundation believes in the power of the performing arts to embody and inspire the pursuit of human excellence. By virtue of its innovative approach to implementing this vision, the Foundation has become an internationally recognized platform for the promotion of humanity's greatest vision of itself.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Apogee Foundation is presenting a series of virtuoso concert events in Odessa featuring Apogee Awards laureates from five leading music academies in Belarus, Moldova, Switzerland and Ukraine.

New York, NY and Odessa, Ukraine -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/14/2009 -- From May 5 through May 29, Apogee Awards laureates representing five leading music academies in four countries will be participating in Apogee Artists concert events and Apogee Academy training events held in collaboration with the historic Stolyarsky State Music School. Featured in these events are multi-instrument prodigy Simion Gronic from Kishinev, Moldova; violinist Yuri Wassilewski from Minsk, Belarus; pianist Akim Anum-Dorhuso from Odessa, Ukraine; trumpeter Bogdan Dekhtyaruk from Uman, Ukraine; and cellist Aleksander Lisuk from Bern, Switzerland: all of whom were originally selected as Apogee Scholars during the Foundation's 2006 Odessa International Music Festival.

Apogee's events in Odessa are being presented on national television in Ukraine, and will also be made available to global audiences through Apogee Videocasting and in a documentary film being produced in collaboration with Aurience Media.

Apogee Awards laureate Bogdan Dekhtyaruk said, "Apogee's support from my earliest years of study, and the professional musical instrument that the Foundation provided for me, have transformed my life and my career. Being part of the global Apogee family has given me the opportunity to be seen and heard all over the world and to realize possibilities that I would never otherwise have dreamed of."

Youri Kuznetsov, an internationally acclaimed jazz pianist, composer and educator previously serving as Head of the Department of Culture and Tourism for the Odessa Province, and now serving as Apogee's Regional Coordinator for Odessa and as a member of the Foundation's global Advisory Council, said: "Odessa is proud to continue our tradition of hosting The Apogee Foundation's phenomenally successful programs, which continue to enrich our region's legendary artistic traditions and to write new chapters in its extraordinary musical history."

In addition to this Apogee Artists command performance series featuring established Apogee Awards laureates, the Foundation has also been conducting auditions for new Apogee Awards applicants while holding Apogee Academy master classes conducted by world class educators such as the renowned violin pedagogue Semion Yaroshevich, who also serves as the Foundation's Regional Coordinator in Tel Aviv, and Ukraine's leading trumpet instructor Igor M. Baruch.

The Apogee Foundation is an international nonprofit dedicated to discovering, developing and celebrating human excellence in the performance arts. Apogee's global programs operate in three synergistic divisions: Apogee Awards, discovering artistic excellence; Apogee Academy, developing artistic excellence; and Apogee Artists, celebrating artistic excellence.

Apogee Awards laureates are selected by an expert jury through a rigorous audition and review process. Successful candidates receive a broad spectrum of support, including the opportunity to participate in Apogee Academy international training programs and Apogee Artists performance events and media productions worldwide.

To view the live, online version of this article, visit: http://apogeefoundation.org/media/2009/apogee_artists_odessa_concerts.php

About The Apogee Foundation ®
The term "apogee" means "the highest point, the culmination." The Apogee Foundation believes in the power of the performing arts to embody and inspire the pursuit of human excellence. By virtue of its innovative approach to implementing this vision, the Foundation has become an internationally recognized platform for the promotion of humanity's greatest vision of itself.

Contact
Kenneth Schneider, President
The Apogee Foundation
1001 Avenue of the Americas, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10018-5460 (USA)
+1.646.224.6960 or +1.888.APOGEE.8
http://www.ApogeeFoundation.org

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Apogee Foundation has been selected as the year's “Top Non-Profit” in the inaugural Fast Pitch! Business Awards.

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/11/2009 -- The Fast Pitch! Business Awards committee has named The Apogee Foundation "Top Non-Profit" in the First Annual Fast Pitch! Business Awards.

The Apogee Foundation is an international philanthropy that helps gifted emerging artists achieve their full potential and that celebrates their achievements on the world stage. Fast Pitch!, one of the fastest growing business networking communities, established the Fast Pitch! Business Awards to recognize and honor businesses demonstrating best practices and attaining highest distinction in their fields.

In evaluating and selecting the inaugural Fast Pitch! Business Award winners, Fast Pitch! assembled a panel of experts with over 200 years of relevant experience to review more than 1,000 nominees in nine award categories. Employing criteria that included the results of public voting as well as in-depth evaluation of each nominee's organization and operations, the Fast Pitch! Business Awards Committee conducted a thorough analysis of all candidates during a rigorous 45 day process and publicly announced the Fast Pitch! Business Award winners on February 4, 2009, naming The Apogee Foundation "Top Non-Profit."

Bill Jula, CEO and Co-Founder of Fast Pitch! said: "We are honored to highlight Kenneth Schneider and his team at The Apogee Foundation as this year's Top Non-Profit. Fast Pitch! shares The Apogee Foundation's core values for improving the way people worldwide realize their true potential both personally and professionally."

Apogee Foundation President Kenneth Schneider said: "We are thrilled that Fast Pitch! has honored Apogee's global family of dedicated personnel, and we will continue striving to merit this distinction by sustaining the highest standards of performance in everything we do."

To listen to a podcast interview with Kenneth Schneider on Fast Pitch! Radio discussing The Apogee Foundation's evolution, with an integrated slideshow (requires Quicktime or iTunes) please visit:

http://www.apogeefoundation.org/audio/interviews/apogee_foundation_top_nonprofit.m4a
or (for audio interview only, in MP3 format):
http://www.apogeefoundation.org/audio/interviews/apogee_foundation_top_nonprofit.mp3

Kenneth Schneider, Apogee's founder, was working as an international financial attorney in Moscow during the 1990's, when he responded to the radical deterioration of the nation's performing arts training resources by galvanizing public and private support for their revitalization.

Recognizing the potential global value of this work, Schneider and his colleagues incorporated The Apogee Foundation in New York in 2004. Since then, Apogee has vastly broadened the reach and impact of its vision through innovative programs designed to discover, develop and celebrate artistic excellence worldwide.

To view the live, online version of this article, visit: http://apogeefoundation.org/media/2009/apogee_foundation_top_nonprofit.php

About The Apogee Foundation ®

The term "apogee" means "the highest point, the culmination." The Apogee Foundation believes in the power of the performing arts to embody and inspire the pursuit of human excellence. By virtue of its innovative approach to implementing this vision, the Foundation has become an internationally recognized platform for the promotion of humanity's greatest vision of itself.

Contact
Kenneth Schneider, President of The Apogee Foundation
1001 Avenue of the Americas, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10018-5460 (USA)
+1.646.224.6960 or +1.888.APOGEE.8
http://www.apogeefoundation.org

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Aurience Ltd, an international media consulting group, and the Apogee Foundation, a global arts philanthropy, are expanding their creative alliance by integrating Aurience's media and technology enhancements throughout Apogee's programs to discover, develop and celebrate artistic excellence worldwide.

London, UK and New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/06/2009 -- Aurience Ltd., an EU media consulting group, and The Apogee Foundation, a US arts philanthropy, are expanding their alliance promoting the world's great performing arts traditions through media and technology enhancements.

Apogee President Kenneth Schneider, also now serving as CEO of Aurience Media following the successful launch of the alliance, said: "Apogee's global family of professionals has achieved a marvelous record of innovation discovering, developing and celebrating artistic excellence around the world. The Aurience team is proud to further this legacy by extending the reach, scope and effectiveness of Apogee's mission and operations through a full spectrum of media and technology enhancements."

Aurience-Apogee co-productions will include film, broadcast, recording and interactive media and communications projects designed to:

- broaden the exposure and experience of Apogee Awards laureates by documenting and publicizing their talents and achievements

- maximize the accessibility and impact of Apogee Academy training programs for participants and audiences worldwide, and

- upgrade Apogee Artists events and productions into international showcases promoting gifted emerging artists and celebrating creative excellence worldwide.

During the coming season, a primary focus of these efforts will be the ongoing evolution of Apogee's Synergy Programs promoting intercultural collaboration among the world's great creative and spiritual traditions. For more information on these programs, see: http://apogeefoundation.org/media/2008/intercultural_artistic_collaboration.php and http://apogeefoundation.org/media/2008/collaboration_spiritual_traditions.php

To listen to a podcast interview with Kenneth Schneider discussing Aurience Ltd's collaboration with The Apogee Foundation visit: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/audio/interviews/aurience_apogee_kenneth_schneider.m4a (AAC with slideshow - free download of Quicktime or iTunes required) or http://www.apogeefoundation.org/audio/interviews/aurience_apogee_kenneth_schneider.mp3 (MP3 audio version without slideshow).

The Aurience-Apogee alliance began in 2006 with radio and television broadcasting of Apogee events in the former Soviet Union, and continued in 2007 with a grant by Aurience of audio-video, photo and computer equipment for archiving of Apogee's activities around the world. In 2008, the two organizations escalated their collaboration by co-producing live and recorded Synergy Program events in New Orleans and Los Angeles, a continuing project with additional phases scheduled for production in Europe and Asia during 2009.

To view the live, online version of this article visit: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/media/2008/aurience_apogee_kenneth_schneider.php

About Aurience Ltd. ®
Aurience Ltd. is an international media & technology consulting group with the motto "Work to Inspire." The firm has particular strengths in developing and implementing new forms of East-West market synergies, and special capabilities at the elite levels of the arts and athletics sectors of these industries and regions.

About The Apogee Foundation ®
The term "ap'-o-gee" means "the highest point, the culmination." The Foundation's vision is guided by the belief in the power of the performance arts to embody and inspire the pursuit of human excellence. By virtue of this vision and Apogee's innovative approach to its implementation, the Foundation has become an internationally recognized platform for the fostering and promotion of mankind's greatest vision of itself.

Contacts:
Kenneth Schneider, President and CEO of Aurience Ltd
One Heddon Street, Mayfair
London W1B 4BD England
+44.20.7870.3990 or +1.310.928.7808
http://www.AurienceMedia.com

Camran N. Shafii, Senior Vice President of The Apogee Foundation
1001 Avenue of the Americas, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10018 USA
+1.646.224.6960 or +1.888.APOGEE.8
http://www.ApogeeFoundation.org

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Apogee is continuing the expansion of its intercultural Synergy Programs by promoting collaboration among musicians representing diverse spiritual traditions around the world.

New York, London and Tokyo -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/09/2008 -- The Apogee Foundation announced today that it is continuing the expansion of its internationally-recognized Synergy Programs with new Apogee Academy educational projects, Apogee Artists performance events, and Artists in Residence music compositions fostering intercultural collaboration among the world's great spiritual traditions.

The Foundation's Synergy Programs are designed to provide gifted artists from diverse cultures opportunities for creative empowerment through the sharing of their artistry with each other and international audiences. Apogee's new sacred music programs will feature both gifted artists during their formative years of training and masters at the pinnacle of their careers, and will include the Foundation's first partnerships with preeminent choral directors and choirs.

Upcoming events also will incorporate newly commissioned choral compositions from Apogee Composers in Residence who specialize in sacred musical expression. These newly commissioned artworks will be premiered in venues chosen for their intercultural significance.

Apogee President Kenneth Schneider said "The world's great traditions of sacred music inspire excellence in people across all cultures and beyond all boundaries, and it is a privilege for Apogee to provide new opportunities for people everywhere to share in these ideals."

These programs will continue the Foundation's pattern of evolution from its origins as an East-West collaboration revitalizing the arts education systems of the former Soviet Union to a global philanthropic organization promoting the development of human creative potential.

To view the full version of this article, visit: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/media/2008/collaboration_spiritual_traditions.php

About The Apogee Foundation ®
Apogee is a global philanthropic organization dedicated to discover, develop and celebrate the creative potential of mankind.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm