STATE OF THE ART

Edwin Noh (IM, ‘24) participated in the Winners’ Recital at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Emily Wen (VA, ‘26) received the Gold President's Volunteer Service Award.

Orange County School of the Arts was featured in the Orange County Register for the OCSA Thrift event, where students hosted a pop-up thrift shop on campus. To read the full article, please visit https://bit.ly/453LFIG

The following students were accepted into the California Band Directors Association (CBDA) All-State Ensembles for 2023:

Junior High School Concert Band
Mason Ahn (IM, ‘28) - Bb Clarinet
Nari Chin (IM, ‘27) - Oboe
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27) - Flute
Chelsea Jiang (IM, ‘27) - Piccolo
Sydney Kramer (IM, ‘27) - Oboe

Junior High School Symphonic Band
Kenny Song (IM, ‘27) - Bb Clarinet


Junior High School Concert Orchestra
Ethan Choi (IM, ‘28) - Cello
Emily Lu (IM, ‘27) - Violin 1
Ho Sen Ken Xiao (IM, ‘28) - Violin 2
Evelyn Yang (IM, ‘28) - Cello

Junior High School String Orchestra
Katelyn Chang (IM, ‘28) - Violin 2
Annabelle Jin (IM, ‘27) - Viola
Brian Kim (IM, ‘28) - Viola
Heejae Kim (IM, ‘27) - Violin 1
Sophia Kim (IM, ‘27) - Violin 1
Jaynie Lee (IM, ‘27) - Violin 1
Jeremy Lee (IM, ‘28) - Cello
Gracie Park (IM, ‘28) - Viola
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) - Violin 2
Julian Yoon (IM, ‘28) - Violin 1

High School String Orchestra
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25) - Viola
Kara Wong (IM, ‘24) - Viola
Audrey Yoon (IM, ‘26) - Violin 1

High School Symphony Orchestra:
Joshua Cua (IM, ‘24) - Bass
Jessica Hong (CW, ‘24) - Violin 1
Justin Hong (IM, ‘25) - Viola
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25) - Bassoon
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25) - Violin 2
Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) - Cello
Rubi Lee (IM, ‘25) - Violin 1
Sarah Yang (IM, ‘26) - Violin 1
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24) - Cello

Delaney Laughlin (ACT, ‘25) was selected to participate in New York Fashion Week.

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Silver Key Regional-at-Large awards.

Felix Brem (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Failed Pigmalion”
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24): Poetry, “All in a Night’s Work”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Flash Fiction, “Dance of the Butterflies”; Poetry, “Like Glass”
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27): Personal Essay & Memoir, “The Dress, The Stain, and The Friend”
Emilia Djordjevic (IM, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Wet Syrup”
Jadon Han (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, “The Brown Line”
Ashley Hong (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Holding Hands”
Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Colorblind”
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Perception”, “Persistence to Stay Anonymous”; Painting, “Gift: Holiday Wine Glass”
Sophia Kang (PD, ‘24): Short Story, “Alone at the Aquarium”
Bethany Kim (CW, ‘26): Science Fiction & Fantasy, “The Land At The Middle In Nowhere”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Photography, “Pieta In Loose Threads”
Lauren (Minyoung) Kim (CW, ‘24): Digital Art, “Cement”
Leo Lai (CW, ‘24): Critical Essay, “The Fishing Industry: Catching an Environmental Issue”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Dismantling Repetition”; Mixed Media, “Torrential Era”
Amanda Lee (IM, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Sacred”
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Invasion”; Painting, “Addiction”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Neo Age”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, “(Hello)”; Poetry, “How to Be Perfect”
Ava Park (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Submerged”; Sculpture, “Playing Chess”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Adan”, “Follower of Tradition”
Ashima Sharma (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “My Grandmother’s Map”
Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Nostalgia”
Sohun Shin (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Walking Chaos”
Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Fire Tests Gold”; “Suffering Tests a Woman”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Escapism”, “Foundational Sacrifice”
Lola Suleiman (CW, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “The Countdown”
Arianna Torres (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Loveless Ring”
Charlton Tsai (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “One Day”
Claudia Tsai (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Seeker”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Photography, “Animal Claw Machine”
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Rule of Creation”; Sculpture, “Elapsed”
Yimeng Wang (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “My Mother”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Painting, “The War is Here”
Keyun Xiao (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Overflow”
Kevin Yang (VA, ‘24): Sculpture, “Reminiscences of a Bitter Tune”
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Midst of the Fog”
Mia Yen (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, “It’s Brevity”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Blossoming Gift of Love”; Fashion, “Upcycle Coffee Sack Project: Bohemian Bliss”; Photography, “Man on the Sand”, “Manhole”
Audrey Yoo (VA, ‘24): Digital Art, “Do You Hear Something?”, “Franken-pigeon”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Snakes in Bloom”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Beckoning Us Into Beauty”
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24): Critical Essay, “The Impact of Guns on the American Education System”
Olivia Yun (VA, ‘25): Drawing & Illustration, “Embrace”; Painting, “Metamorphosis”
Margaret Zhang (DM, ‘24): Digital Art, “One in the Same”

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These students received Gold Key Regional-at-Large awards. Gold Key recipients were judged at the national level.

Felix Brem (CW, ‘23): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Giants”
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Family Ties”, “If The Shoe Fits”, “Who Am I”; Mixed Media, “Eye Of Africa”; Photography, “A Piece of the Pie”; Sculpture, “A New Home”
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24): Critical Essay, “Exercising Rights: On Youth Civic Engagement”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Critical Essay, “Waves of Society and Change - A Comparison Essay”; Humor, “Banana Peel”; Poetry, “Season”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Wai Po’s Feet”
Justine Droullard (CW, ‘24): Science Fiction & Fantasy, “Something About Living”
David Du (FTV, ‘24): Film & Animation, “Life of a Mayfly”
Jaya Gandhi (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “An Abecedarian Poem In Which I Name Myself”
Run (Sarah) Han (PD, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Mirage”
Courtney Hines (CW, ‘24): Short Story, “Speaking to You is Like a Foreign Language”
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Interpersonal Identity and the Greater Media”; Drawing & Illustration, “Outer Layer”
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Design, “Braille Clothing Tags”, “Kids Tiger Drink Box”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Painting, “Hold on tight”, “Open up”, “your hopes are raw and revealed.”
Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Shelter”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Framed in Modernity”
Calene Lee (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “umbrella”
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Changeable and Unchangeable”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Newton’s Third Law”, “The Outside Forces”
Evan Lu (VA, ‘23): Editorial Cartoon, “Perpetual”; Painting, “Solitude”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “If Our Bodies are 60% Water, Then my Other 40% Consists of…”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Look Harder”
Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Short Story, “Fixer”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Externalizing the Future”
Lola Suleiman (CW, ‘23): Flash Fiction, “They’re Still Burning Witches”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Ceramics & Glass, “Dim Sum”
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Printmaking, “In the Back of the Mind”
Emily Wen (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Banana Appétit”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Painting, “The Long-Awaited Delivery”
Keyun Xiao (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Motherhood”
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Poetry, “from the beginning, we were, and we were not: an abecedarian poem”, “Pantoum”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Photography, “A Father’s Light at the End of the Tunnel”, “Reach For Your Dreams”
Audrey Yoo (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Self Portrait of a Tired Artist”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Critical Essay, “The Monster is Here: Tech, Glorifying Efficiency, and the Rise of Autocrats”; Poetry, “Ode to an Unknown Glacier, Ode to an Unknown Artist”, “Elegy to My Paintbrush”
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “We, the animals of the United Oceans”
Olivia Yun (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Daydreaming”

The following students received National Awards in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Gold Medal Winners
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Family Ties”, “If The Shoe Fits”
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Design, “Kids Tiger Drink Box”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Newton’s Third Law”
Irene Son (VA, ‘25): Painting, “Externalizing the Future”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Ceramics & Glass, “Dim Sum”
Huilun Wang (VA, ‘23): Printmaking, “In the Back of the Mind”

Silver Medal Winners
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Who Am I”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Wai Po’s Feet”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “If Our Bodies are 60% Water, Then my Other 40% Consists of…”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Look Harder”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Photography, “Reach For Your Dreams”

American Visions Medal Winner
Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27): Mixed Media, “Eye Of Africa”

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, semifinalists, and nominees for the 10th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. OCSA had two winners out of seven arts categories this year, as well as many finalists, semifinalists, and nominees! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Nominees:

Dance

Commercial Dance
Michelle Cheng (CMD, ‘23)
Jonah Smith (CMD, ‘23)

Concert Dance
Courtney Chiu (BCD, ‘23)
Aarilyn Lee (CMD, ‘23)
Daniella Morales (BCD, ‘24)
Alisa Nguyen (BCD, ‘23)

Hip-Hop
Faith Aguilar (CMD, ‘23)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)

World/Cultural Dance
Saira Galilea Arias (BF, ‘23)
Hannah Ayala (BR, ‘23)
Jude Caguioa Camaya (BR, ‘23)
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘23)
Mia Amaris Lopez (BF, ‘23)
Aurelia Philmore (BR, ‘24)


Film and Television

Cinematography
Owen Thomas Blum (FTV, ‘23)
Zen Sing Thai (FTV, ‘23)

Film Directing
Dominic Gonzalez (FTV, ‘23)
Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23)

Promo/Commercial Making
Evan Padilla (FTV, ‘23)


Fine Arts

Drawing
Nina Alvarez (VA, ‘23)
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)
Chili Sloop (VA, ‘24)

Mixed Media
Chloe Kim (VA, ‘23)
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23)

Painting
Luke Furca (VA, ‘24)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Cheungwan (Amy) Wang (VA, ‘23)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)


Instrumental Music

Jazz
Megan Etzel (IM, ‘23) - Piano
Trent Horio (IM, ‘23) - Tenor saxophone
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Piano
Emilia Djordjevic (IM, ‘23) - Piano
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Winds and Percussion
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Aidan Luu (IM, ‘23) - Alto Saxophone
Daniel Park O’Grady (IM, ‘24) - Clarinet
Damian Paul (IM, ‘24) - Percussion
Leo Sui (IM, ‘23) - Trombone

World/Cultural and Commercial Music
Savannah Tweedt (PM, ‘24) - Drum Set and Percussion


Media Arts

Digital Illustration
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
Cindy (Tenna) Kuang (VA, ‘24)
Fatima Mai (VA, ‘24)
Olivia Sarno (DM, ‘23)
Mingxuan Wang (VA, ‘23)

Game Art
Rachel Kondo (DM, ‘24)
Ethan Situ Leung (DM, ‘23)
Vicky H. Nguyen (DM, ‘23)

Motion Graphics and Animation
David Du (FTV, ‘24)

Photography
Candace Ramirez (VA, ‘23)


Theater

Acting
Ava DeVoe (ACT, ‘24)
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)
Ethan Swartz (ACT, ‘23)

Musical Theater Performance
Alexa Núñez Magaña (MT, ‘23)
Sophie Russ (MT, ‘24)


Vocal Music

Classical Voice
Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Grace Huynh (CV, ‘23)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)
Sebastian Nunez (CV, ‘24)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘23)

Cultural and Commercial Voice
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)

Musical Theater Voice
Chloe Deutschman (MT, ‘24)
Clare Adelaide Murphy (IA, ‘23)
Sophia Ruiz (MT, ‘23)

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, semifinalists, and nominees for the 10th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. OCSA had two winners out of seven arts categories this year, as well as many finalists, semifinalists, and nominees! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Semifinalists:

Dance

Commercial Dance
Michelle Cheng (CMD, ‘23)
Jonah Smith (CMD, ‘23)

Concert Dance
Courtney Chiu (BCD, ‘23)

Hip-Hop
Faith Aguilar (CMD, ‘23)
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)

World/Cultural Dance
Mia Amaris Lopez (BF, ‘23)


Film and Television

Cinematography
Zen Sing Thai (FTV, ‘23)

Film Directing
Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23)

Promo/Commercial Making
Evan Padilla (FTV, ‘23)


Fine Arts

Drawing
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)

Mixed Media
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23)

Painting
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Cheungwan (Amy) Wang (VA, ‘23)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)


Instrumental Music

Jazz
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Piano
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Winds and Percussion
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Damian Paul (IM, ‘24) - Percussion


Media Arts

Digital Illustration
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
Fatima Mai (VA, ‘24)

Game Art
Ethan Situ Leung (DM, ‘23)
Vicky H. Nguyen (DM, ‘23)

Motion Graphics and Animation
David Du (FTV, ‘24)


Theater

Acting
Ava DeVoe (ACT, ‘24)
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)

Vocal Music

Classical Voice
Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘23)

Cultural and Commercial Voice
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)

Musical Theater Voice
Sophia Ruiz (MT, ‘23)

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, semifinalists, and nominees for the 10th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. OCSA had two winners out of seven arts categories this year, as well as many finalists, semifinalists, and nominees! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Artist of the Year Winners:

Jonah Smith (CMD, ‘23) – Dance
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24) – Instrumental Music


Finalists:

Dance
Faith Aguilar (CMD, ‘23)
Courtney Chiu (BCD, ‘23)

Fine Arts
Chelsea Lee (VA, ‘24)
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24)

Instrumental Music
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) - Piano

Media Arts
Ava Diaz (DM, ‘24)
David Du (FTV, ‘24)
Ethan Situ Leung (DM, ‘23)

Theater
Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23)

Vocal Music
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)

Da Yea Sue (CAH, ‘21), Isabella Vegh (CAH, ‘21), and Mckenna Voisin (CAH, ‘19) received 2022 California Restaurant Foundation Scholarships.

Eli Raskin (MT, ‘12) was selected to be a Sundance 2022 Producing Fellow. Eli was also featured in an article by The Wrap about the artists selected for the Sundance Producing Lab and Summit. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Vt5rbk

The following Classical Voice Conservatory students performed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Evaluation Program. They participated through the Los Angeles chapter, which received hundreds of submissions. The students received the following awards:

Classical:

6th-8th Youth (Ages 11-12)
Second Place: Simran Goyal (CV, ‘28)
Third Place: Leitan (Julia) Zhou (CV, ‘28)

6th-8th Youth (Ages 12-14)
First Place: Reese Guenther-Clark (CV, ‘27)
Honorable Mention: Leila Woodward (CV, ‘27)

9th-10th Grade Treble
First Place: Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26)
Second Place: Mona George (CV, ‘25)

9th-10th Grade Tenor/Baritone/Bass
First Place: Jack Wilson (CV, ‘25)
Second Place: Michael Morris (CV, ‘26)
Third Place: James Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Honorable Mention: Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26)

11th-12th Grade Treble
First Place: Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Second Place: Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)
Third Place: Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)
Honorable Mention: Jaidyn Portanova (CV, ‘23)

11th-12th Grade Tenor/Baritone/Bass
First Place: Jeffery Yang (CV, ‘24)
Second Place: Sebastian Nunez (CV, ‘24)

The following Classical Voice Conservatory students performed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Evaluation Program. They participated through the Los Angeles chapter, which received hundreds of submissions. The students received the following awards:

Musical Theater:

6th-8th Youth (Ages 12-14)
Second Place: Leila Woodward (CV, ‘27)
Honorable Mention: Cadence Bleakley (CV, ‘27)

9th-10th Grade Treble (Group 1)
First Place: Xianger Fang (CV, ‘26)

9th-10th Grade Treble (Group 2)
First Place: Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26)
Third Place: Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Honorable Mention: Mona George (CV, ‘25)

9th-10th Grade Tenor/Baritone/Bass
Honorable Mention: Garrett Wirth (CV, ‘25)

11th-12th Grade Treble (Group 1)
Second Place: Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)
Third Place: Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)

11th-12th Grade Treble (Group 2)
Second Place: Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Honorable Mention: Jaidyn Portanova (CV, ‘23)

Avery Mizrahi (IA, ‘24) was recognized as a National Science Foundation Fellow at the University of California, Irvine where she presented her preliminary research, which hopes to find a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. Avery was part of a cohort of undergraduate Fellows that flew in from around the country to work in various neuroscience labs with star mentors over the summer.

JJ Barton (PM, ‘26) signed his first commercial music contract to sing the title track of a brand-new cartoon, “Monster Loving Manics.” The cartoon is currently being aired all across Europe. JJ and his rock band “Duct Tape,” of which he is the lead singer, also played their first sold-out gig at Campus Jax in Newport Beach. Additionally, JJ was cast in his second Dhar Mann short film, titled “Kid Gets Sent to Military School.”

The following students and alumni received Musical Theatre West Footlighters Scholarships for 2022. To read more about this scholarship, please visit: https://bit.ly/3VtBesI

Naomi Groleau (MT, ‘22)
Haven Hanson (PD, ‘23)
Jordan Spena (MT, ‘22)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)

William Chung (PD, ‘26) received the Best Player Award at the Education for Next Generation Organization (ENGO) Scholarship Junior Kendo Championship. He competed in the 12-13 year-old Individual and Team Best Five divisions and won a total of $300 in scholarships.

William Jin (IM, ‘24) was invited to perform in Winners' Recitals at Carnegie Hall and Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center in New York City.

Luke Witting (IA, ‘23) was accepted into and attended a songwriting and performance summer session workshop at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, where he learned from professionals in the industry and collaborated with other high school students from the greater Los Angeles area.

Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23) performed the lead role of Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” at The Music Room School of Performing Arts.

The following students were recognized as 2023 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. YoungArts award winners at all levels receive cash prizes between $100 and $10,000. All YoungArts Finalists are also invited to participate in National YoungArts Week where they collaborate with peers and develop their crafts with internationally recognized leaders in their fields.

Finalists:
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) – Dance (Hip Hop)
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) – Classical Music (Oboe)
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Violoncello)
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25) – Design Arts
Ashley Park (CW, ‘23) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Joan Park (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Popular (Pop)

Honorable Mentions:
David Du (FTV, ‘24) – Film (Animation)
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Popular (Pop))
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Amelie Muro (FTV, ‘22) – Film (Experimental)
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Voice (Popular (Pop))
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)

Merit:
Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23) – Classical Music (Piano)
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Flute)
Katerina Malabarba (CW, ‘24) – Writing (Novel)
Maraia Mariselli (PM) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)
Mehra Marzbani (ACT, ‘23) – Theater (Spoken Only)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) – Jazz (Piano)
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Voice (Jazz)
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23) – Visual Arts

Broderick (Brody) Yun (MT, ‘28) was cast in the role of Nico in the hit series “Cocomelon” on Netflix and YouTube.

The following students were selected as regional semifinalists in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program in recognition of their leadership, service, and academics, as well as their efforts to positively affect others in their community. Winners will be selected to receive a $20,000 college scholarship and to join a network of more than 6,000 Coca-Cola Scholar alumni that encourage, challenge, and support each other in their common goal of making the world a better place.

Yoojin Jo (IM, ‘23)
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23)
Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘23)
Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23)
Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
Allison Wong (CW, ‘23)

MONTAGE! was featured on the front page of the “Los Angeles Times Daily Pilot” for their performance in the annual Tree Lighting performance at South Coast Plaza. To read the full article, please visit https://bit.ly/3F2gIZ3.

Piper Huntley (PD, ‘25) was cast in South Coast Repertory’s 2022 seasonal production of “A Christmas Carol,” a professional live performance with eight shows a week on South Coast Repertory’s Segerstrom Stage.

Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25) played the young Mary Todd in the new Broadway-bound musical, “The Lincolns of Springfield,” directed by Tony Award-winner Corey Brunish, which premiered at the Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara this past October.

Priscilla Delgado (ACT, ‘20) was cast in the role of Esti González in the Amazon Prime Video series “A League of Their Own.”

Randy Au, Assistant Director of the Visual Arts Conservatory, was featured in an article by Stu News Newport about his ceramic vegetable art exhibit currently on display at John Wayne Airport. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3VHn0E4

Irene Son (VA, ‘25) received a Blue Ribbon and the Judges’ Award from the Orange County Fair Fine Art Competition for her painting, titled “Wildlife’s Home.”

Luke McGarry (VA, ‘05) was featured on a segment of KCAL9 News to talk about his career in animation. To watch the full segment, please visit: https://bit.ly/3VPvqcW

Emi Yoshino (PD, ‘20) was selected to serve as the assistant stage manager for an event featuring Al Pacino, titled Pacino One Night Only.

Skyler Tran (IM, ‘28) and Sterling Tran (IM, ‘27) traveled to Toronto to accept awards from the Rocky Mountain Music Competition and perform live at the York University.

Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25) and Nava Tate (MT, ‘27) were cast and performed as the Coroner of Munchkin City and the Mayor of Munchkin City respectively in a production of “The Wizard of Oz,” presented by the Tustin Area Council for Fine Arts, in cooperation with Lythgoe Family Productions.

Jared Machado (MT, ‘17) was cast as the lead role of Johnny in “American Idiot” at the Chance Theater and was also featured in an article in the Orange County Register. To read the article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3UrjVqT

Sophia Ruiz (MT, ‘23) was featured on the front cover of “Parenting OC” for her upcoming performance in the Discovery Cube’s STEAM-themed musical, “Winter Lights: A Journey Home.”

The following Strings & Orchestra students, alumni, as well as Program Coordinator Dr. Nicolaus Yee, performed in the season finale of “The Masked Singer” alongside the final act.

Kiana Alvarez (IM, ‘21)
Shawn Berry (IM, ‘16)
Joshua Cua (IM, ‘24)
Michael Fleming (IM, ‘12)
Jason Galantine (IM, ‘20)
Raija Hammad (IM, ‘23)
Shayna Kaplan (IM, ‘23)
Liam Ramos (IM, ‘24)
Matthew Teng (IM, ‘20)
Eleas Vrahnos (IM, ‘20)
Christopher Ye (IM, ‘17)

Katya Richardson (IM, ‘15) won a Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Score on a Short Documentary for the documentary titled “MINK!”.

Sophie Cheng (PD, ‘24) received third place at the International Federation of Aesthetic Group Gymnastics (IFAGG) Junior Tuah Cup and sixth place at the IFAGG Junior World Cup.

Kalia Lagbao (IA, ‘27) was chosen to perform at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Pacific Region Conference in Huntington Beach.

Luna Zamora (CV, ‘24) was awarded the President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award from The White House.

Julian Gwin (MT, ‘27) was cast in the role of Charlie Winslow in an upcoming production of “Holiday Inn” at Vanguard University.

Thea Larsen (IA, ‘23) received first place in the California Association of Collectors Educational Scholarship Foundation (CACESF) essay writing competition out of over 1,700 applicants and also was named a CACESF Scholarship State Champion.

Wyatt Barclay (FTV, ‘16) co-produced the horror/reality television series “Spook Show 17,” which follows the creators of The 17th Door, an intense haunted house attraction in Southern California.

Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) received the silver medal and $2,000 cash award from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition. She also competed in the Midwest Double Reed Society’s Eric Varner Young Artist Competition and was awarded first place in the high school oboe division. Hannah also received the Katherine Needleman Scholarship and performed in this year’s All-National Honor Symphony and Carnegie Hall NYO2 Orchestra.

Irene Son (VA, ‘25) received the Judges Award in the painting category at the Orange County Fair and also received The Korea Daily CEO Award for her piece, “Anxious Future.”

The Visual Arts Conservatory was featured in the Orange County Register for their annual Painted Pumpkin auction. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3MvMUHN

Aashna Rana (CV, ‘23) was selected to speak at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Education Conference in Austin, Texas. SXSW celebrates the convergence of technology, film, music, education, and culture and is one of the largest globally attended conferences in the world. Aashna was chosen along with three other Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) Governors to speak about how Gen Z takes part in advocacy.

Allison Wong (CW, ‘23) was featured in a Spectrum News 1 segment about how she designed a 40-page coding booklet for underserved children at KidWorks in Santa Ana. To view the segment, please visit: https://bit.ly/3B5q9pw

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) has been ranked by Niche as the #1 Best Charter High School in California for the fourth year in a row, as well as the #6 Best Charter High School in America! Please visit https://bit.ly/3D8R02u to view all the 2023 rankings for OCSA. We would like to express our gratitude to all the students, teachers, and staff who continue to make OCSA exceptional.

Angela Delgado (PD, ‘22) was featured in an article as one of VoyageLA Magazine’s Rising Stars. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3B9lzXh

Lauren Chudner (VA, ‘23) and Faith Hochgesang (IA, ‘23) both earned perfect scores on the 2022 AP Research exam. Of the roughly 29,000 students who took the exam only 306 earned every point available on their paper, presentation, and oral defense. These students are officially in the highest scoring 1% of researchers.

The following students were named semifinalists for National Merit Scholarships. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation selected more than 16,000 semifinalists who are competing nationally for nearly $28 million in scholarships, which will be awarded next spring.

Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23)
Yoojung (Sally) Jang (CW, ‘23)
Yoojin Jo (IM, ‘23)
Amber Khauv (CW, ‘23)
Grant Li (CW, ‘23)
Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23)
Joshua Qin (BD, ‘23)
Clara Son (CW, ‘23)
Allison Wong (CW, ‘23)
Evan Wu (IM, ‘23)

Delaney Laughlin (ACT, ‘25) was selected to walk in the Edwing D’Angelo show in New York Fashion Week.

William Okajima (CMD, ‘20) was featured in a recent Apple commercial promoting the iPhone 14.

Yoojung (Sally) Jang (CW, ‘23) was awarded the $2,000 Outstanding High School Project Award in the national Lowell Milken Center (LMC) Discovery Awards for her project, titled “A Voice in the Dark: Kim Hak-Sun’s Breakthrough Comfort Women Testimony.”

The following students received the National Recognition Program Award from two of the four College Board recognition programs that award academic honors to underrepresented students.This award recognizes their academic achievements and outstanding performances on the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and/or AP Exams.

National African American Recognition Award
Kayalani Degrave (MT, ‘23)
Ayanna Dowell (CMD, ‘23)
Aurelia Philmore (BD, ‘24)

National Hispanic Recognition Award
Sabrina Aguilar (DM, ‘23)
Maya Bleszinski (MT, ‘23)
Analise Delp (CW, ‘24)
Maya Ferchaw (ACT, ‘24)
Abril Garcia (CW, ‘23)
Mia Guillen (IA, ‘23)
David Llenderrozos (CW, ‘23)
Alexa Nunez Magana (MT, ‘23)
Ava Tello (ACT, ‘24)
Arianna Torres (CW, ‘23)
Candace Ramirez (VA, ‘23)
Sophia Ruiz (MT, ‘23)

Clare Murphy (IA, ‘23) had her writing featured on Kelly Corrigan’s podcast, “Kelly Corrigan Wonders.”

Delaney Laughlin (ACT, ‘25) was featured on a KTLA Morning News segment with Melissa Chataigne on back-to-school fashion. To watch the segment, please visit: https://bit.ly/3ulugtR