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March 2, 2022 The Music Center Selects 100 Southern California High School Students as Semifinalists in The Music Center's 34th Annual Spotlight Competition

Nationally Recognized Performing Arts Competition, Scholarship and Artistic Development Program Offers More than $100,000 in Scholarships for Aspiring Teen Artists with Performance Opportunities and Valuable Professional Feedback

LOS ANGELES (March 2, 2022)—The Music Center today announced 100 of Southern California’s most talented high school students as semifinalists in The Music Center’s 34th annual Spotlight (Spotlight) program, a free nationally acclaimed performing arts competition, scholarship and artistic development program for teens. A TMC Arts program, Spotlight provides Southern California teens with expert advice, coaching, auditions and mastery classes taught by professional artists and arts administrators. The program recognizes and rewards all participants throughout the competition with a range of benefits such as individual feedback from industry professionals, performance opportunities and more than $100,000 in cash awards through three rounds of auditions.

This year, more than 1,300 teens representing more than 256 schools, 181 cities and 8 counties auditioned for the prestigious program. Students compete in seven categories: acting, classical voice, non-classical voice, ballet, dance, classical instrumental and jazz instrumental. All applicants receive written feedback from distinguished panels of judges following each audition round to help students improve and gain knowledge in their particular performance discipline. An important part of The Music Center’s fundamental support for arts learning, the program provides students the opportunity to develop their performance abilities, receive valuable college preparedness skills and gain confidence to pursue their dreams in the performing arts. Through a supportive environment, students also develop important life skills, including building self‐esteem, preparation and perseverance, that benefit them beyond the stage.

“After nearly two years of online programming and distanced arts learning, The Music Center is thrilled to bring the Spotlight performance and in-person arts experiences back to our campus. Spotlight offers participants multiple opportunities for artistic development that help these aspiring young performers hone their craft and guide their aspirations, whether that be on stage or in the boardroom,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “We want to ensure young people have a supportive and nurturing environment and performance experiences that allow them to develop their talents and determine their path. Spotlight offers the means for them to do that.”

“Despite the limitations we all faced during the pandemic, The Music Center’s Spotlight persevered. We were fortunate to be able to continue the program as a completely free competition, and the results are simply spectacular, with so many young people from across the Southland applying and inspiring all of us with their enthusiasm, talent and passion for the arts,” added Jeri Gaile, Fredric Roberts Director of The Music Center’s Spotlight program. “While Spotlight is very much a competition, we also focus on developing each student’s artistic skills and nurturing their growth. Our goal is to support each applicant in every way possible, be that providing detailed notes from a judge on how to better their performance or showing them alternative careers in the arts beyond the stage.”

Spotlight semifinalists have the rare opportunity to attend a special mastery class in their discipline with highly regarded artists, who share their expertise on performance technique, training and professional life. Experts provide students with highly valuable feedback on their performances, offering them a rich learning experience. Each semifinalist will audition again before a new panel of judges, who will then select the top two finalist performers in each category for a total of 14 Grand Prize Finalists. Judges will also name an Honorable Mention in each category. The Grand Prize Finalists will perform in The Music Center’s Spotlight Grand Finale Performance on June 15, 2022, at 7:30 p.m., at The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre.

The Music Center’s Spotlight program awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. Semifinalists each receive $300. The eventual Grand Prize Finalists will each receive $5,000 scholarships, plus one Honorable Mention in each category will receive $1,000. The Music Center also celebrates five students in each category with the Merit Award, which acknowledges students who inspire the judges by their commitment and dedication to their art form; Spotlight Merit Award recipients each receive $100. 

To help students interested in applying to the Spotlight program, The Music Center created The Spotlight Academy as an episodic series of online videos and tutorials. Designed for young artists, parents and educators, The Spotlight Academy features 15 webisodes that focus on subjects related to applying for the Spotlight program as well as advice for anyone considering a career in the arts, both on- or offstage. The videos provide a deep dive into the program’s seven categories and discuss curated topics featuring alumni and experts in the field, including Superstore actress Carla Renata, opera singer Suzanna Guzmán and New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck, among others.

Since its launch in 1988, Spotlight has transformed the lives of 53,000 high school students from Santa Barbara to San Diego by being a competition and more. Numerous Spotlight participants have gone on to successful professional careers. Twenty-three finalists are Presidential Scholars, and many more have joined or performed with professional companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, among others. Notable Spotlight alumni include Misty Copeland, who made history in the dance world as the first African American principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre; Adam Lambert and Josh Groban, pop recording artists; Kris Bowers, Emmy® Award-winning composer whose work includes the scores for Bridgerton, Green Book and Dear White People; Lindsay Mendez, Tony Award® winner for her role in the Broadway revival of Carousel and now starring in the television drama All Rise; Erin Mackey, star of Broadway’s Wicked, Sondheim on Sondheim, Anything Goes, Chaplin, and Amazing Grace; Matthew Rushing, associate artistic director for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Yao Guang Zhai, associate principal clarinet of the Toronto Symphony; Gerald Clayton, GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz recording artist; and many others.

Fredric Roberts is the founding chairman of The Music Center's Spotlight program. The late Walter E. Grauman is the creator. The Music Center's Spotlight program is generously supported by The Hearst Foundations.

For more information about The Music Center’s Spotlight program, visit musiccenter.org/spotlight or join the conversation on facebook.com/MusicCenterSpotlight/.

 

About The Music Center

The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The $70 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County and on a digital platform called The Music Center Offstage. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Grand Park, which comprise $2 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @MusicCenterLA.

The Music Center’s 34th Annual Spotlight Program Semifinalists

Name

Program Name

Home City

School

Grade

Jack Lieberman

Jazz Instrumental

Agoura Hills

Agoura High School

10

Oscar Yum

Classical Voice

Altadena

Flintridge Prep School

11

Dyllan  Blackburn

Dance

Anaheim

Canyon High School - Anaheim

10

Tiffany Hsu

Classical Voice

Arcadia

Mayfield Senior School of the Holy Child Jesus

9

Taylor Fuchs

Acting

Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills High School

12

Ruby Laks

Classical Voice & Jazz Instrumental

Beverly Hills

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

12

Rhett Hemingway

Non-Classical Voice & Acting

Burbank

John Burroughs High School

12

Cassidy May-Benullo

Non-Classical Voice

Calabasas

Calabasas High School

11

Evan Dexter

Jazz Instrumental

Chatsworth

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

11

Kaitlyn Ortega

Dance

Chino Hills

Chino Hills High School

10

Michael Davis

Acting

Chula Vista

San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts

12

Fiona Poth

Ballet & Dance

Coto de Caza

Avenues Online: The World School

10

Ashley Chung

Ballet

Cypress

Cypress High School

11

Mackenzie Wrap

Non-Classical Voice

Foothill Ranch

Orange County School of the Arts

12

Angeline Kiang

Classical Instrumental

Fremont

Colburn Music Academy

12

Landon Wouters

Acting & Non-Classical Voice

Fullerton

Orange County School of the Arts

12

Maya DeSousa

Acting

Glendale

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

11

Elias Robles

Non-Classical Voice

Hacienda Heights

Los Altos High School

12

Michaela Capulong

 

Dance

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach High School

12

Grace Briella Wilcox

 

Acting

Huntington Beach

Orange County School of the Arts

12

Preston Atkins

Classical Instrumental

Idyllwild-Pine Cove

Idyllwild Arts Academy

12

Justine Moore

Acting

Inglewood

The Archer School for Girls

12

Emma Chen

Ballet

Irvine

Portola High School

11

Aimee Cho

Ballet & Dance

Irvine

Crean Lutheran High School

 

10

Ella Horan

Dance

Irvine

University High School (Irvine)

11

Sophia Koo

Ballet

Irvine

Arnold O. Bechman High School

 

9

Sanjana Khurana

Classical Voice

Irvine

Sage Hill School

12

Madeleine Lee

Ballet

Irvine

Pacific Academy, Irvine

9

Addison Leitch

Dance

Irvine

Arnold O. Beckman High School

 

10

Zachary Lin

Classical Instrumental

Irvine

University High School (Irvine)

12

Lauren Mei

Acting

Irvine

Orange County School of the Arts

11

Kaya Sparnicht

Acting

Irvine

Orange County School of the Arts

9

Nathan Tatsuta

Jazz Instrumental

Irvine

Orange County School of the Arts

10

Christopher Tsukada

Ballet

Irvine

University High School (Irvine)

10

Michelle Lu

Ballet

Irvine

Portola High School

9

Kangsan Kim

Classical Voice

La Habra

Orange County School of the Arts

12

Mia Baron

Classical Voice

Ladera Ranch

Orange County School of the Arts

11

Tessa Espinola

Acting

Laguna Beach

Orange County School of the Arts

 

9

Leo Sui

Classical Instrumental

Laguna Hills

Orange County School of the Arts

11

Justin Padilla

Ballet

Lake Forest

Home Schooled

10

Ava Ulloa

Non-Classical Voice

Lake Forest

Orange County School of the Arts

12

Bella Aboulhosn

Non-Classical Voice

Los Angeles

Chaminade College Preparatory High School - Canoga

11

Anaiya Asomugha

Acting

Los Angeles

The Archer School for Girls

10

Dakotah Faunteroy

Dance

Los Angeles

Calabasas High School

11

Katie Gaven

Acting

Los Angeles

Oakwood Secondary

12

Nikka Gershman-Pepper

Classical Instrumental

Los Angeles

Colburn Music Academy

9

Hwaseop Jeong

Classical Instrumental

Los Angeles

Colburn Music Academy

12

Samuel Karpinski

Acting

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

12

Ruby Moncrieff-Karten

Non-Classical Voice

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

10

Leilani Patao

Non-Classical Voice

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

12

Sophie Pollono

Non-Classical Voice

Los Angeles

John Burroughs High School

11

Kaela Seltzer

Jazz Instrumental

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

12

Noah Silva

Classical Voice

Los Angeles

John Marshal High School

11

Stellan Swanlund

Jazz Instrumental

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

11

Laila Takiyama

Ballet

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

9

Drew Tillman

Non-Classical Voice

Los Angeles

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

10

Ashley Tsai

Classical Instrumental

Los Angeles

Colburn Music Academy

12

Ava Louise Winer

Ballet

Los Angeles

Marlborough School

12

Jiahe Zhang

Classical Instrumental

Los Angeles

Colburn Music Academy

11

Sophia Papouchado

Jazz Instrumental

Manhattan Beach

Vistamar School

11

Gael Saldaña

Jazz Instrumental

Montclair

Diamond Ranch High School

12

Lila Tsang

Dance

Monterey Park

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

11

Noe Lynds

Ballet

Murrieta

Susan H. Nelson High School

9

Calli Perryman

Dance

Murrieta

Murrieta High School

9

Emmitt Butler

Acting

Newport Beach

Newport Harbor High School

12

Evan Richards

Classical Voice

Newport Beach

Orange County School of the Arts

12

Max Gilbert

Jazz Instrumental

Oak Park

Agoura High School

10

Jacqueline Lane

Ballet & Dance

Palos Verdes Estate

Palos Verdes High School

11

Ryan Liddy

Classical Voice

Pasadena

Loyola High School of Los Angeles

11

Caroline Patterson

Non-Classical Voice

Pasadena

Polytechnic High School (Pasadena)

12

Max Fan

Classical Instrumental

Rolling Hills Estate

Home Schooled

9

Tommu Su

Classical Instrumental

Rowland Heights

Home Schooled

12

Rhyan Foerster

Ballet

San Clemente

California Preparatory Academy

9

Anaïs Feller

Classical Instrumental

San Diego

Classical Academy High School

 

11

Holden Kunowski

Ballet

San Diego

Del Norte High School

12

Grace Li

Dance

San Diego

Canyon Crest Academy

11

Lia Zheng

Classical Voice

San Diego

Canyon Crest Academy

11

Victoria Curet

Classical Voice

San Diego

San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts

10

Lily Keating

Classical Voice

San Marino

Polytechnic High School (Pasadena)

12

Grace Navarro

Classical Voice

San Marino

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

12

Mia Lopez

Dance

Santa Ana

Orange County School of the Arts

11

Andrew Bond

Acting

Santa Clarita

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

12

Alexander Levin

Jazz Instrumental

Santa Monica

Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences

11

Milla Moretti

Classical Voice

Santa Monica

Santa Monica High School

12

William Schwartzman

Jazz Instrumental

Santa Monica

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

11

Chloe Stavis

Non-Classical Voice

Santa Monica

Santa Monica High School

12

Jassir Rivera

Non-Classical Voice

Simi Valley

Grace Brethren

11

Qiao Zhang

Classical Instrumental

Simi Valley

Sierra Canyon-Upper School

9

Mihilo Kato

Classical Instrumental

South Pasadena

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

10

Luciano Soriano

Jazz Instrumental

Thousand Oaks

Westlake High School

10

Adam Zilberman

Jazz Instrumental

Thousand Oaks

Westlake High School

12

Julian Najah

Jazz Instrumental

Topanga

Home Schooled

12

Tegan Chou

Ballet & Dance

Tustin

Home Schooled

10

Kennedy Percival

Classical Voice & Non-Classical Voice

Upland

Home Schooled

11

Frederick Chiu

Classical Instrumental

Walnut

Walnut High School

11

Andrew Shi

Classical Instrumental

Walnut

Diamond Bar High School

12

Lulu Royce

 Non-Classical Voice & Acting

West Hollywood

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

12

Aidan Farrell

Jazz Instrumental

Westlake Village

Agoura High School

12

Luciana Vun

Dance

Winchester

Green Oak High School

11

Addyson Smith

Dance

Woodland Hills

Calabasas High School

9

Media Contact

  • Lisa Ducore

    (213) 972-3328

    lducore@musiccenter.org

     

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