Music Center Announces Spotlight Awards Performing Arts Semi-Finalists
For Immediate Release: January 26, 2009
91 Talented High School Students From Throughout Southern California Advance to Next Round in Prestigious Arts Program
LOS ANGELES - The Music Center of Los Angeles County announced the 91 talented high school students chosen as performing arts semi-finalists for the 21st annual Music Center Spotlight Awards. These young artists were selected from among 1,326 Southern California students who auditioned in the six categories: ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, nonclassical voice, classical instrumental and jazz instrumental music.
The preliminary round of auditions for the Music Center Spotlight Awards took place from October through December. High school students from public and private schools from across Southern California performed before panels of expert judges. Each student receives detailed evaluations on their auditions, intended to help them improve their performing and auditioning technique. After the auditions concluded in each category, the judges selected the top 15 students to advance to the semi-finals.
The 91 semi-finalists receive a unique opportunity to attend special master classes with highly regarded professional artists who offer in-depth insight on performance technique, training, and professional life. Each semi-finalist will audition again before a new panel of judges, who will then select the top two performers to advance to the finals.
The Music Center will announce the 12 performing arts finalists in March. Each young artist will be paired with a mentor/host from the Music Center's Fraternity of Friends, a volunteer membership organization comprised of prominent Los Angeles businessmen and entertainment industry professionals who support the Music Center. The mentors provide guidance and support to the students and their families in preparation for the final competition, the Spotlight Awards show held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
The Music Center Spotlight Awards is one of the nation's most acclaimed performing and visual arts education programs for teens. It offers distinctive learning opportunities in the arts for all participants and awards over $100,000 in scholarships annually to finalists, semifinalists and participants who receive honorable mentions. The program has launched numerous professional careers-fifteen finalists are Presidential Scholars and many have joined or performed with professional companies including the Metropolitan Opera, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. Many alumni return to the program and participate as judges and master class instructors.
Frederic M. Roberts is founding chairman of the Music Center Spotlight Awards; Thomas Weinberger is chairman and Walter Grauman is creator/executive producer. The program is a project of the Fraternity of Friends, a volunteer membership organization of men who support the Music Center.
Bank of America is the principal corporate sponsor of the Music Center Spotlight Awards; additional support is provided by a generous grant from Helen and Peter Bing, Principal Program Benefactors.
For more information about the Music Center Spotlight Awards program, call 213-972-3300
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