2024 Grand Prize Finalists
Congratulations to our 14 Spotlight 2024 Grand Prize Finalists!
Harry Orenstein
Acting Grand Prize Finalist
Harry Orenstein, 18, is a senior at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts where he performs with the Musical Theatre Ensemble and Opera Company. Beginning at the age of nine, Harry studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and musical theatre with Liza Monjauze Productions. Roles include: Sweeney in Sweeney Todd, Officer Lockstock in Urinetown, and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Harry was nominated for Best Actor at the Sundown Film Festival for Jesus Christ Applies to College, a short comedic film he wrote and directed. He will attend Berklee College of Music for voice and songwriting this fall. Harry would like to thank Liza Monjauze, Chris Hunter, Griffith Frank, and his parents who always laugh at his jokes. This is Harry’s first year participating in Spotlight.
Skyla Woodard
Acting Grand Prize Finalist
Skyla Woodard, 17, is a senior at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and an honor student. She has been performing for over ten years. Stage roles include: Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden, Baby June in Gypsy, Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act, Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors, Romaine Vole in Witness for the Prosecution, and Paulina in The African Mean Girls Play. Awards include: Fullerton Festival, Modern Ensemble Dramatic Performance, 1st Place (2022); DTASC Acting, Large Group Comedy, 1st place (2023). She stars as Alexis in the Disney+ Emmy Award-winning TV series The Crossover. Skyla thanks her LACHSA mentors Corey Dorris, John Freeman, and Lois Hunter for their guidance, and her parents for their unwavering support. This is Skyla’s first year participating in Spotlight.
Amelie Bott-Suzuki
Ballet Grand Prize Finalist
Amelie Bott-Suzuki, 14, is a freshman at California Connections Academy and has been dancing since she was 2 years old. She trains at Ballet Institute of San Diego under the direction of Egle Spokaite and with Ekaterina Anishchenko. Awards include: Youth American Grand Prix, 1st Place (2024), Top 3 (2022-23), Pas de deux 3rd place (2024), Finalist (2022-24); California Dance Classics, 1st place and Dance Arts Foundation Artistic Excellence Award (2024); Spera International Dance competition, 1st Place (2024-23); American Dance Competition International Ballet Competition Finalist, Top 6 (2022-23). Scholarships include: Harid Conservatory’s Isabella Boylston Award (2024), K-Ballet Academy, Japan (2024), Ellison Ballet School (2022-2024), Bolshoi Ballet Academy (2020-2021). She thanks her parents, family, and teachers for all their guidance and support. This is Amelie's first year participating in Spotlight.
Isabella Howard
Ballet Grand Prize Finalist
Isabella Howard, 16, is a sophomore at Nevada Virtual Learning Academy. She trains with Dmitri and Jennifer Kulev at Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy and is a member of Westside Dance Project. Intensives/short-term stays include: The Juilliard School, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Arts Umbrella. Isabella is represented by MSA Agency. TV appearances include: America's Got Talent, World of Dance and This Is Us. Awards include: YoungArts, Dance winner (2024); USA International Ballet Competition, Jury Award (2023); YAGP International Finals, Top 12 Soloist (2022); YAGP USA Regionals, Senior Grand Prix Award (2024) and Youth Grand Prix Award (2022); NYCDA Nationals, Teen Outstanding Dancer, Runner-up (2023); The Dance Awards, Teen Best Dancer, Runner-up (2022). She thanks her parents, family and teachers for their love and support. This is Isabella's first year participating in Spotlight.
Holly Lacey
Classical Instrumental Grand Prize Finalist
Holly Lacey, 17, is a junior at South Pasadena High School. She studies violin with Margaret Batjer at Colburn School, where she has served as Concertmaster of the youth orchestra for five seasons and performed as a soloist with Colburn Chamber Orchestra (2023) and Colburn Youth Orchestra (2024). Her Nth Trio in Colburn’s Ed and Mari Edelman Chamber Music Institute was awarded the Horszowski Trio Prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (2023). Other first prize awards include: MTAC VOCE Chamber Music Competition (2023), CAPMT Contemporary Music Competition (2022), and Southern California Philharmonic Young Artists Competition (2021). Holly serves as a Co-Regional Director of the Back to BACH Project. She is deeply grateful for the unwavering enthusiasm and patience of her teacher and family. This is Holly’s second year participating in Spotlight.
Kyle Yeung
Classical Instrumental Grand Prize Finalist
Kyle Yeung, 16, is a sophomore at Pacific Academy. He studies piano performance with Dr. Sasha Starcevich. Kyle is the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra’s principal pianist. Awards include: US Chopin Foundation Scholarship (2023-2024); National YoungArts Winner (2024); Music Teacher’s National Association National First Prize in Composition and Third Prize in Piano Performance (2023); and Music Teachers’ Association of California Young Composers Guild Winner (2024). He also studied at The Juilliard Pre-College Program (2018-2020). Kyle has performed at Carnegie Hall, Renee and Henry Segerstrom Hall, and the World Composers’ Recital in Vienna. Kyle is the Program Director of Practice Makes Perfect and a member of the Back to Bach Project. He would like to thank his family and teacher for their guidance in his musical journey. This is Kyle’s second year participating in Spotlight.
Meghan Linnington
Classical Voice Grand Prize Finalist
Meghan Linnington, 17, is a senior at California Connections Academy. She studies voice with Maria Maxfield. Meghan has performed with Tulsa Opera in principal roles and children’s choruses. Other performances with LA Opera Camp, San Francisco Summer Conservatory, Vail Opera Camp, Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard, The Salzburg Festival, and most recently at Carnegie Hall. Awards include: Schmidt Vocal Arts, Northern California Region and Top Ten National Finalist (2023); Classical Singer High School, Division 1 (2023) and All State Singer (2024); and Richard Miller High School Voice Competition (2023). She is also an award-winning violinist and pianist. This fall, Meghan will be attending the Royal Conservatory of Music, Glenn Gould School in Toronto. Meghan thanks her teacher and her parents for their continued support. This is Meghan's first year participating in Spotlight.
Callie Chae Pyken
Classical Voice Grand Prize Finalist
Callie Chae Pyken, 16, is a sophomore at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in the Opera Department and Musical Theatre. She studies voice with Juliana Gondek and Julia Gregory. Awards include: YoungArts Popular Voice winner (2024); Congressional Award recipient (2023); Spotlight Acting Honorable Mention and Non-Classical Voice Semifinalist (2024); and Asian Pacific American Friends of the Theatre Scholarship (2023). Callie is a Colburn School Ambassador and Pasadena Playhouse Teen Alliance member. She has performed/trained with Ogunquit Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, ACT San Francisco, Juilliard Summer Conservatory, The Wallis and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Callie will attend the Pre-College Drama program at Carnegie Mellon University this summer. She is eternally grateful to her parents, friends, and instructors for their support and encouragement. This is Callie’s second year participating in Spotlight.
Jack Lieberman
Contemporary Instrumental Grand Prize Finalist
Jack Lieberman, 18, is a senior at Agoura High School, where he plays lead alto saxophone in their nationally recognized big band and first chair clarinet in the Honors Wind Ensemble. Jack studies with Lee Secard at Colburn School and has played in the Thursday Night Combo and Big Band. He is an alumnus of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy, The Stanford Jazz Workshop, UCLA’s The Herbie Hancock Institute, SCSBOA Jazz All Stars Band (2022), and the All-State Honor Band (2021, 2022). Awards include: LA Jazz Society’s Shelly Manne New Talent Award (2022); YoungArts Finalist in Jazz Instrumental (2024) and Honorable Mention (2023, 2022); Spotlight Honorable Mention in Jazz Instrumental (2023) and Semifinalist (2022, 2021); and DownBeat Magazine’s Outstanding Performance Jazz Soloist Award (2022). This is Jack’s fourth year participating in Spotlight.
Savannah Tweedt
Contemporary Instrumental Grand Prize Finalist
Savannah Tweedt, 18, is a senior at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) in the Popular Music Conservatory. She has been playing drums since she was five years old and is the drummer for her teen indie rock band ti85, ska band Half Past Two, and the OCSA Montage! band. She is the co-principal percussionist of the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble. Awards/Honors include: Hit Like a Girl International Champion (2023); Soroptimist Woman of Achievement Award Winner (2024); Grammy Museum student showcase (2024); and Pot of Gold Recording Studios internship (2022-2024). Savannah plans to pursue her dream of becoming a professional drummer. She would like to thank all her percussion instructors, especially Nicholas DeGaulejac and Robert “Jake” Jacobs, and her supportive family and friends. This is Savannah’s first year participating in Spotlight.
Andrea Martínez
Dance Grand Prize Finalist
Andrea Martínez, 16, is a junior at the Orange County School of the Arts in the Ballet Folklorico Conservatory. She has been dancing folklorico since she was four years old and studies flamenco, as well. Andrea trains at Relámpago del Cielo under the direction of Marlene Peña Marin. She previously studied at Centro Cultural de Mexico. Folklorico performances include: Musco Center for the Arts, Sofi Stadium and Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Andrea has performed with Mariachi sol de Mexico at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center and has danced with Las Estrellas Grupo Folklorico. Awards include: Spotlight Dance Semifinalist (2023). Andrea plans to dance folklorico professionally and would love to teach it to younger generations. She thanks her family for their endless support and encouragement. This is Andrea’s third year participating in Spotlight.
Isabella Silva
Dance Grand Prize Finalist
Isabella Silva, 16, is a sophomore at the Orange County School of the Arts. She is a founding member of the acclaimed Reverb Tap Company, under the direction of Leah Silva. Isabella has studied American tap dance since she was two years old and has performed across the country. Awards include: YoungArts Distinguished Winner in Dance (2024). Performances include: L.A. County Holiday Celebration at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and on PBS; Siempre Niños on Telemundo; West Coast Desperados, directed by Derek Hough; American Ballet Theater’s Nutcracker; Macy’s Back to School national TV commercial; and Mattel’s Mattie Awards. Isabella aspires to widely share this rich historical art form. She is thankful to her teachers and family who have helped shape her into the artist she is today. This is Isabella’s second year participating in Spotlight.
Mia Rivera
Non-Classical Voice Grand Prize Finalist
Mia Rivera, 17, is a senior at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and has been singing for as long as she can remember. She studies voice with Roxane Carrasco, Elena Correia and Karyn Overstreet. Roles include: Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Cassie in A Chorus Line, Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Tanya in Mamma Mia, Wednesday in The Addams Family, Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street, and Sandy in Grease. Mia will attend the University of Michigan for Musical Theater this fall. Mia would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors who have helped her on her journey to become the best artist she can be, especially her late teacher Rebecca Drake. This is Mia’s third year participating in Spotlight.
Kai Wright
Non-Classical Voice Grand Prize Finalist
Kai Wright, 17, is a junior at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in the Vocal Department. He has been performing since he was four years old. Kai studies voice with John DeLuise and over the past few months has taught himself guitar. Performances include: Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, Bobby Strong in Urinetown, and Anthony in Sweeney Todd. Kai is passionate about writing his own music and aspires to become a recording artist and actor. He would like to acknowledge his parents, both of whom are musicians, who have inspired him to be the artist and person he is today. He thanks Hannah Abrahim, who wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music for “Just Be,” which he performs tonight. This is Kai’s second year participating in Spotlight.