STATE OF THE ART

The Orange County Register announced the nominees for the 9th Annual Artist of the Year Awards. This program highlights talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts. Each of these students has proven their abilities in their areas of expertise.

Film and Animation:

Animation and Visual Effects
Romeo Martin (DM, ‘22)

Cinematography
Justin Shin (FTV, ‘22)

Directing and Editing
Maggie Ding (FTV, ‘22)
Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22)
Anirudh Vadhri Kota (FTV, ‘22)
Alexis Ai Macdonald (FTV, ‘22)
Nona Nishigawara (FTV, ‘22)
Michael McDonald (IA, ‘22)

Handcrafted Visual Arts:

Hand Drawing and Painting
Grace Jo (VA, ‘22)
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Xiaowei (Sophia) Wang (VA, ‘22)

Mixed Media
Joyce Yuruo Hong (VA, ‘22)
Hannah Kang (VA, ‘22)

Instrumental Music:

Piano and Strings
Xingyao Li (IM, ‘22)
Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22)
Hannah Zhao (IM, ‘22)

The Orange County Register announced the winners, finalists, and semifinalists for the 8th Annual Artist of the Year Awards, and OCSA had five winners out of seven arts categories this year! The Artist of the Year program honors talented students across the county for their accomplishments in the arts.

Semifinalists:
Dance:

Commercial Dance
Reagan Vallejo (IA, ‘22)

Concert Dance
Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22)
Alisa Nguyen (BCD, ‘23)

World/Cultural Dance
Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)
Hana Uehara (BR, ‘23)

Film and Animation:

Cinematography
Justin Shin (FTV, ‘22)

Directing and Editing
Maggie Ding (FTV, ‘22)
Alexis Ai Macdonald (FTV, ‘22)
Nona Nishigawara (FTV, ‘22)

Alyssa Snow (IM, ‘25) received first place at the Elite International Music Competition and was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Julian Velasco (IM, ‘13) was selected to be a soloist featured as part of Chicago Sinfonietta’s 2022-2023 season. For his debut with Sinfonietta, he will be performing Roberto Sierra’s Saxophone Concerto in Wentz Concert Hall and Symphony Center.

Yunah Chun (IM, ‘25) received first prize at the 2022 Pelican International Music Competition, competing on solo piano in the Open category.

Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23) won second place in the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair and was featured on Orange County Vector Control’s social media platforms for his work with Laura Kruger, the District's Board Certified Entomologist in analyzing the data collected as part of their West Nile virus surveillance program.

The OCSA Ambassador Jazz Orchestra, led by Music Director and Conductor, John Reynolds, was honored as the third place band out of 15 finalist bands and several hundred applicant ensembles at the highly prestigious 2022 Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival in New York City, hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center. Additionally, the band shared the stage with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Many members of the band were also selected to win individual and section awards. To view their performance, please visit: https://bit.ly/3mCAKkk

Aydan Bevacqua (IM, ‘23)
Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25)
Mateo Cruz (IM, ‘24)
James Dechary (IM, ‘24)
Megan Etzel (IM, ‘23)
Auvin Hajian (IM, ‘23)
Trent Horio (IM, ‘22)
Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26)
Kiana Kaminski (IM, ‘22)
Nhan-Tuan Luu (IM, ‘23)
Ryder Mendelson (IM, ‘23)
Allison Molin (IM, ‘25)
Ryan Nicolov (IM, ‘22)
Ian Shin (IM, ‘24)
Christian St. Marseille (IM, ‘22)
Leo Sui (IM, ‘23)
Connor Taing (IM, ‘23)
Luke Toner (IM, ‘24)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

Christopher Cung (IM, ‘22) won the 2021 Chamber Music Competition at Mount St. Mary’s University and was awarded a $700 cash prize.

Shayna Kaplan (IM, ‘23), Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23), and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) represented OCSA at the Chemistry Olympiad Exam and placed sixth out of all Orange County high schools. The team was honored at the American Chemical Society Awards Banquet with a plaque and Nathan Tatsuta earned the top score from OCSA.

Additionally, Joseph Ho (IM, ‘24), Elise Park (FTV, ‘24), Sohun Shin (VA, ‘24), Melody Wu (VA, ‘24), and Helaine Zhao (IM, ‘24), OCSA’s first-year Chemistry Olympiad team, received second place out of all Orange County high schools’ first-year teams. This team was also honored at the American Chemical Society Awards Banquet with a plaque and Helaine Zhao earned the top score from OCSA.

Michael Repper (IM, ‘08) recorded an album with New York Youth Symphony which hit #1 on the Billboard Chart.

Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23) was accepted to Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Piano Program.

Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24) was selected to perform in The Pacific Club’s Emerging Artist Performance Series.

The following OCSA students, as a part of Empowering Arts (eA), a nonprofit founded by Hannah Cho (IM ‘25), were awarded the President's Volunteer Service Gold Award. The students were recognized for their musical concerts at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and the Blind Children’s Learning Center.

Dylan Chia (IM, ‘26)
Brent Cho (ACT, ‘27)
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25)
Isabella Cho (ACT, ‘27)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Emma Chuang (VA, ‘25)
Mia Geise (MT, ‘24)
Andrew Fung (IM, ‘24)
Arim (Ariana) Kim (IM, ‘25)
Jennifer Kim (VA, ‘25)
Calene Lee (CW, ‘25)
Sunny Lee (IM, ‘24)
Danny O'Grady (IM, ‘24)
Jae Eun (April) Park (IM, ‘25)
Emy Pardo (MT, ‘24)
Lucy Woo (IM, ‘25)
River Zylstra (ACT, ‘27)

Kei Shimabukuro (IM, ‘24) was selected as the winner of the 2022 Congressional Art Competition for California's 48th Congressional District. Kei’s winning artwork, titled “Lucky Orange,” was selected to be displayed in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. for one year. Kei also received round-trip airfare to attend the awards ceremony.

Tennessee Freese (IM, ‘27), Cash Lane (IM, ‘25), Maverick Lane (PM, ‘27), Max Rossini (PM, ‘25), and their band, Youthanize, were chosen to play on the main stage at the 2023 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show.

Nathaniel Sprague (IM, ‘26) placed second in piano at the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC) Concerto Competition, held at Chapman University.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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

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)

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)

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

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)

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.

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)

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”

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

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

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

Felix Brem (CW, ‘23): Journalism, “A Cog in the Machine: SAT History & Test Optional Colleges”
Kaitlyn Byer (CW, ‘25): Personal Essay & Memoir, “How I Became Beautiful”
Ruth Chen (CW, ‘25): Flash Fiction, “Grandma’s Hands”, “Hi again”; Poetry, “Colors”; Short Story, “Golden Colors”, “The Summer Rain”
Hailey Cho (BCD, ‘25): Journalism, “Professional Actor Convicted of Robbery and Battery on a Cruise Ship”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Hard Work Doesn't Always Pay Off?”
Jennifer Choi (VA, ‘26): Comic Art, “Into Reality”; Drawing & Illustration, “My life”
Ryan Choi (ACT, ‘24): Critical Essay, “Everything is real, and therefore, nothing is”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Unrefined”
Justine Droullard (CW, ‘24): Painting, “Depth”, “Peek-A-Boo”; Short Story, “Rain Boots”
Run (Sarah) Han (PD, ‘27): Drawing & Illustration, “Anticipation”, “Distorted Reality”, “Eyes That Tell a Story”, “Memories”
Courtney Hines (CW, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Inconstant Senses.”
Jenna Catherine Ho (VA, ‘26): Drawing & Illustration, “Journey”
Mankio Hong (PD, ‘26): Digital Art, “Triple Gaze”
Anna Huang (CW, ‘24): Flash Fiction, “What She Heard”
Cynthia Huang (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Her Body is Fast Fashion”
Joy Jin (CW, ‘26): Short Story, “Popsicle Kid”
Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “CODA: Child of Depressed Adult”; Short Story, “Our Body”
Sona Kamaraj (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Dyeing Dimensions”
Seoyun Kang (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Displayed”; Digital Art, “Pulse”
Estella Sky Keong (CV, ‘25): Photography, “Father of Light, The Messenger of Acropolis”
Bethany Kim (CW, ‘26): Flash Fiction, “Imaginations of Reality”
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25): Digital Art, “Automated”
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Don’t Get Lost”; Fashion, “Jelly”; Mixed Media, “Go bird go! Power Fowlers: Can They Adapt To The Wild?”, “Home is a familiar place I’ve never been”; Painting, “Where are you, my lost babies?”
Donggyu Kim (VA, ‘24): Painting, “Autumn Waxwings”, “It Lurks in the Reef”
Frances Kim (IA, ‘24): Comic Art, “A Birthday Visit”
Gigi Kim (VA,’25): Drawing & Illustration, “Skittles”
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25): Poetry, “A is for Anorexia”
Ina Kim (CW, ‘26): Short Story, “The Meet Up”
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25): Critical Essay, “The Matthew Effect and How Discriminatory Economic Policies Impacted African American Communities”
Jennifer Kim (VA, ‘25): Mixed Media, “Mental’s Artificial”; Sculpture, “Through It All”

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

Kyle Kim (FTV, ‘25): Film & Animation, “Between the Bars”
Clara Kye (VA, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “Soul Food”
Alison Amber Lee (VA, ‘23): Mixed Media, “Portrait of the Future”, “Pyebaek: Fertility Wish”; Printmaking, “Repeated Fate”
Julie Lim (IA, ‘23): Art Portfolio, “Nature vs Nurture”
Evan Lu (VA, ‘23): Painting, “Midnight”, “Serenity”
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23): Dramatic Script, “New Year’s Day”
Brielle Murphy (IA, ‘24): Short Story, “Ocean”
Eunice Oh (VA, ‘24): Digital Art, “Let Me Rot”
Lindsey Robertson (VA, ‘23): Digital Art, “The Library, Wish We Could Turn Back Time”
London San Luis (DM, ‘23): Painting, “Kendall Last Year”; Art Portfolio, “mine, not yours.”
Aadya Sharma (IM, ‘24): Personal Essay & Memoir, “How To Ride a Scooter”; Critical Essay, “In the Name of Progress: an Examination of American Racism”
Amy Shi (CW, ‘24): Short Story, “Scylla in a Box”
Ashley Shin (VA, ‘25): Drawing & Illustration, “Deconstruction”
Clara Son (CW, ‘23): Poetry, “Demeter’s Daughter”
Charlton Tsai (CW, ‘24): Poetry, “Foods Correlating to my Asian-American Identity”
Kate Um (CV, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Music Comes From the Heart”
Alyssa Uy (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Wilting Memories”
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23): Expanded Projects, “Emotional Trash”
YanJun Wang (VA, ‘26): Painting, “Birthday Leftovers”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Brainwashing China”, “Yan’an Road”; Mixed Media, “It Never Ends”
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24): Flash Fiction, “hazelnut”
Jessica Yang (IA, ‘24): Short Story, “Erstwhile Friend”
Kevin Yang (VA, ‘24): Architecture & Industrial Design, “Warped Labyrinth”
Emily Yi (VA, ‘26): Photography, “LAX”, “Longing”, “Reflection”, “Sea Woman in Jeju Island”, “Tired”, “Vintage Tokyo House”, “Walking on Sand Carpet”; Sculpture, “Liberate Your Alebrije”
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26): Poetry, “Snakes in Bloom”
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24): Critical Essay, “Caged in a Zoo: Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby”; Personal Essay & Memoir, “Sparks Fly”
Margaret Zhang (DM, ‘24): Drawing & Illustration, “Invasive Growth”
Carina Zheng (VA, ‘24): Sculpture, “Generations”; Painting, “Palpitation”

The following students of OCSA’s Middle School Science Olympiad Team competed against 20 other middle school teams at the Orange County Regional Tournament and earned an overall third place as a team. Twenty students placed in the top six and received medals for their categories. The team also advanced to the state championships and placed third overall, with students medaling in the top six of 17 categories.

Sailee Charlu (VA, ‘27)
Lila Olson (IA, ‘26)
Juneau Foxlin (IMS, ‘26)
Iva (Jiaying) Liu (CV, ‘27)
Samantha Wu (MT, ‘27)
Jeremy Lee (IM, ‘28)
Armaan Diwan (IM, ‘27)
Skyler Tran (IMP, ‘28)
Sterling Tran (IMP, ‘27)
Jackson Tran (IA, ‘27)
Lauren Young (PD, ‘26)
Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26)
Olivia Song (CV, ‘28)
Seojin Park (IMP, ‘28)
Sophie Paulsen (MT, ‘27)

Michael Repper (IM, ‘08), as a part of the New York Youth Symphony, received a Grammy in the category of Best Orchestral Performance, marking the first time in history that a youth orchestra has won a Grammy.

The following students were selected as 2023 Dragon Kim Fellows and earned $5,000 community service grants from the Dragon Kim Foundation. These students were chosen from over 300 applicants across California and Nevada and went through a rigorous interview process to earn the fellowships. Along with the project funding, these students receive three weekends of leadership training and hands-on mentorship from local business professionals.

Autistic2Artistic: Justin “JT” Freeman (PM, ‘25)
Brain Aneurysms: An Underlooked Disturbance: Ramzi Idriss (FTV, ‘26)
DearMe: Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26)
EpiSTEMic: Lyn Huang (CW, ‘24) and Xinchun Audrey Zhang (IM, ‘24)
Find Your Light: Lana Lee (IA, ‘26)
Project Insight: Taren Azizi (ACT, ‘25) and Audrey Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Somewhere In Time: Kyle Kim (FTV, ‘25) and Kaylie Viloria (PD, ‘25)
Teacher's Pet: Natalie Hoffman (CW, ‘25)
The Recycling Dictionary: Mary Hong (PD, ‘26) and Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24)
Two Step Together: Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) and Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25)

Amy Lee (IM, ‘23), as a part of the Evie Quartet from the Colburn School, received the grand prize and first place in the Junior Division at the 2023 Coltman Chamber Music Competition that took place at the University of Texas at Austin. The quartet was selected to perform at the Lincoln Center in New York and on a KFMA radio broadcast.

OCSA’s Model United Nations Club attended the Trabuco Hills High School Model United Nations Conference, where delegates representing different countries participated in rigorous debate, practiced public speaking and communication skills, and wrote detailed resolution papers addressing important international topics, such as Digital Infrastructure in South East Asia and Ending Terrorist Recruitment. Students received the following awards.

Sophie Kim (ACT, ‘26): Commendation Award, Third Place, and Research Award
Kaiden Orozco (AE, ‘26): Best Delegate Award and First Place
Grace Shin (VA, ‘24): Outstanding Delegate Award and Second Place
Sophie Sukendro (IM, ‘26): Research Award
Kaylie Viloria (PD, ‘25): Best Delegate Award, First Place, and Research Award
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26): Commendation Award and Third Place

The following OCSA Honors Chemistry students competed in the first-year American Chemical Society (ACS) competition. Due to the students' high combined scores, OCSA earned a Top 6 Team award among all Orange County schools. Additionally, Dane Bergman (IA, ‘25) earned the top score for OCSA and received special recognition at the ACS awards banquet.

Dane Bergman (IA, ‘25)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Grant (James) Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Sky (Estella) Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25)
Minjae (Jaden) Kim (IM, ‘25)
Mican Lai (FTV, ‘25)
Elenna (Jeongwon) Park (IA, ‘25)

Julian Leon (IM, ‘23) was selected to play in the orchestra for the King Charles III’s coronation on May 6 in London, England

The following students were recognized as grand prize finalists, semifinalists, and finalist award winners in The Music Center’s 34th Annual Spotlight Program. Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed arts training and scholarship program for teens that awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. Semifinalists have the opportunity to attend a special master class in their discipline with highly regarded artists who share their expertise on performance technique, training, and professional life. Each semifinalist then auditions once more, and the top two finalist performers in each category are selected for a total of 14 Grand Prize Finalists.

Grand Prize Finalists:

Classical Voice
Lilliana Mindel (CV, ‘24)

Semifinalists:

Ballet
Preston Walker (BCD, ‘26)

Dance
Sammi Chung (CMD, '24)
Ayanna Dowell (CMD, '23)
Andrea Martinez (BF, ‘25)
Mallory McKenna (CMD, '23)
Isabella Silva (IA, ‘26)

Classical Instrumental
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25)
Calene Lee (CW, '25)

Jazz Instrumental
Ian Shin (IM, ‘24)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

Non-Classical Voice
Joan Park (PM, ‘23)

Classical Voice
Grace Huynh (CV, ‘23)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)

David Du (FTV, ‘24) and Matthew Blam (IM, ‘24) created a short animation, titled "Life of a Mayfly." David animated, directed, and produced the film, while Matthew composed the music. “Life of a Mayfly” was nominated for Best Animation in the National Film Festival for Talented Youth Jury Award in April 2023 and the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.

The following students were recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation, one of the only organizations in the U.S. that supports artists across 10 disciplines at all stages of development, beginning with the critical moment when they decide to pursue a life in the arts and continuing throughout their careers. Their mission is to identify exceptional young artists, amplify their potential, and invest in their lifelong creative freedom.

Finalists:

Classical Music
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) – Oboe
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) – Violoncello

Dance
Edward Chen (IA, ‘24) – Hip-Hop

Design Art
Caroline Kim (VA, ‘25)

Voice
Joan Park (PM, ‘23) – Popular

Writing
Ashley Park (CW, ‘23) – Spoken Word

Honorable Mentions:

Film
David Du (FTV, ‘24) – Documentary
Amelie Muro (FTV, ‘22) – Experimental

Voice
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23) – Popular
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Popular
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) – Singer-Songwriting

Writing
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) – Spoken Word

The following students were recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation, one of the only organizations in the U.S. that supports artists across 10 disciplines at all stages of development, beginning with the critical moment when they decide to pursue a life in the arts and continuing throughout their careers. Their mission is to identify exceptional young artists, amplify their potential, and invest in their lifelong creative freedom.

Merit:

Classical Music
Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23) – Piano
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) – Flute

Jazz
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) – Piano

Theater
Mehra Marzbani (ACT, ‘23) – Spoken Word

Visual Arts
Cheungwan Wang (VA, ‘23)

Voice
Maraia Mariselli (PM) – Singer-Songwriter
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Jazz

Writing
Katerina Malabarba (CW, ‘24) – Novel

Ella He (IM, ‘27), Emma He (IM, ‘25), Katelyn Hu (BCD, ‘24), Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24), and Angel Shen (CV, ‘25) were in the “The Monkey King,” a famous Chinese epic tale told through a fusion of western and Chinese musical traditions. Ella, Emma, and Bryce performed in the South Coast Chinese Orchestra, and Katelyn and Angel accompanied them, performing with the Southern California Dance Company.

The following students were recognized as grand prize finalists, semifinalists, finalists, and merit award winners in The Music Center’s 34th Annual Spotlight Program. Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed arts training and scholarship program for teens that awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. Semifinalists have the opportunity to attend a special master class in their discipline with highly regarded artists who share their expertise on performance technique, training, and professional life. Each semifinalist then auditions once more, and the top two finalist performers in each category are selected for a total of 14 Grand Prize Finalists.

Merit Awards:

Dance
Annie Chen (CMD, ‘26)
Mia Lopez (BF, ‘23)

Classical Instrumental
Lucie Kim (IM, ‘24)
Minjae (Jaden) Kim (IM, ‘25)
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25)

Jazz Instrumental
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25)

Classical Voice
Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Samara Kohne (CV, ‘24)
Lavinia Watkins (CV, ‘26)

Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26) was selected for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, High School Honor Group, and performed with them on his double bass. He also ran the Catalina marathon and won first place in his age division, in addition to running the OC Marathon, in which he won third place in his age division with a personal record time of 3:34. With this race, he achieved legacy status for having run his third OC Marathon in a row.

Skyler Tran (IM, ‘28) and Sterling Tran (IM, ‘27) competed in the 9th Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition for Young Artists in Carmel, Indiana. They performed alongside 200 other contestants from around the world. Skyler won Second Prize in Intermediate Concerto and Third Prize in Intermediate Solo. Sterling won First Prize in Advanced Concerto and First Prize in Advanced Solo.

Zeen Zhou (IM, ‘29) was invited to perform as a violin soloist for the Irvine Classical Players at the Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna. Zeen was the youngest violin soloist in the entire 2023 festival.

Albert Hacker (IM, ‘26) and Vincent Hacker (IM, ‘28) were invited to Carnegie Hall to perform piano and violin, respectively, in the Winners’ Concert for the American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented (AADGT) Passion of Music Festival. The AADGT music festival is an opportunity for young musicians around the world to get integrated into the classical music world and spread its culture. Albert also earned First Place in the International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington, D.C.

Cristian Fatu, an instructor in the Instrumental Music Conservatory – Strings & Orchestra Program, was featured on the cover of the See Beyond Magazine September/October 2023 Edition. The corresponding article focused on his career and the challenges and triumphs he has experienced as a musician. To read the article, please visit: https://bit.ly/48o02sj

Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25) was invited to play tenor saxophone at the Herbie Hancock Institute’s annual All-Star Concert Gala in New York, one of the most prestigious national jazz events.

The following students were named semifinalists for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic scholarship competition, where students can receive recognition and university scholarships. Semifinalists are recognized for their academic and extracurricular achievements, putting these students in a pool of less than 1% of high schoolers in the nation.

Edward Chen (IA, ‘24)
Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24)
Joseph Ho (IM, ‘24)
Tane Kim (IM, ‘24)
Katerina Malabarba (CW, ‘24)
Elise Park (FTV, ‘24)
Aadya Sharma (IM, ‘24)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)
Luke Toner (IM, ‘24)
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24)
James Yi (CW, ‘24)
Xinchun Zhang (IM, ‘24)

For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/41cHgkX

Cole Fredrick (PM, ‘16), Matt Jarnagin (FTV, ‘15), Matisse Pasillas (FTV, ‘15), Nick Stone (PM, ‘15), and Chris Trimmer (IM, ‘12) performed on a Virgin Voyage cruise with their band Undecided Future. Undecided Future is an urban pop band with influences from Earth, Wind & Fire, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars, among others. On Virgin Voyage, they have visited Spain, Italy, France, Ibiza, and many other locations throughout 2023.

Grace Lam (IM, ‘29) won a Gold Medal at the 2023 Southern California Junior Bach Festival Complete Works Auditions at Cal State University, Long Beach. The award qualified her to perform at the Complete Works Audition Awards Concert where all first place winners performed.

Ella He (IM, ‘27), Sydney Lee (IM, ‘26), and Xander Shah (IM, ‘28) participated and performed at the Cal State LA Harp Pedagogy Mini-Conference, an annual event that features a variety of presentations and recitals focused on this graceful instrument.

The following students were honored at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) State Competitions, where musicians from California are offered the chance to advance nationally within their instrumental category. John Hallberg, saxophone instructor, produced winners in both the Junior and Senior Woodwind categories of the competition.

Hannah Cho (IM): Winner; California Senior Performance Woodwind (Oboe)
Rubi Lee (IM, ‘25): Honorable Mention; California Senior Performance String (Violin)
Darren Qiu (IM, ‘24): Alternate; California Senior Performance Woodwind (Saxophone)
Natalie Xu (IM, ‘29): Honorable Mention; California Junior Performance String (Violin)

Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) was published in The Oncologist as a co-author for the paper “Real-World Outcomes of Latinx Versus Non-Latinx Patients Treated with First-Line Immunotherapy for Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma,” in collaboration with UCLA and City of Hope oncologists.

The following student musicians, as part of the OCSA’s Ambassador Jazz Orchestra (AJO), had the opportunity to work and perform with the Juilliard Jazz sextet and their director Aaron Flagg. They were also able to sit with Aaron Flagg for a Q&A session.

Emmet Althoen (IM, ‘28)
Samuel Chung (IM, ‘25)
Mateo Tomas Cruz (IM, ‘24)
James Dechary (IM, ‘24)
Nicholas Doan (IM, ‘24)
Pedro Fregoso (IM, ‘27)
Grace Gillen (IM, ‘25)
Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26)
Kilan Lam (IM, ‘29)
Danny Lee (IM, ‘24)
Allison Molin (IM, ‘25)
Darren Qiu (IM, ‘24)
Owen Ramos (IM, ‘27)
Ian Shin (IM, ‘24)
Katherine Shinogi (IM, ‘25)
Oliver Shiwota (IM, ‘27)
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)
Luke Toner (IM, ‘24)
Emily Vu (IM, ‘24)
Kaylie Wise (IM, ‘24)

Members of the OCSA Robotics Team were invited to compete at the One World Showcase Event at University of California, Berkeley. Five teams from OCSA competed against 115 other teams from around the country. One of the five teams, Z Squared, was composed of Olivia Lee (VA, ‘25), Sunny Li (IM, ‘24), and Samantha Park (IA, ‘25), making them one of the less than 5% of teams that were made of all female members. Z Squared placed 7th out of 115 in only their second year of robotics. Below is the full list of the OCSA students who participated in the One World Showcase Event.

Shining Chen (CW, ‘26)
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25)
Evan Choe (VA, ‘25)
Rhea Dayal (VA, ‘28)
Juneau Foxlin (IM, ‘26)
Justin Hong (IM, ‘25)
Peyton Hsu (AE, ‘27)
Jason Lee (IM, ‘27)
Olivia Lee (VA, ‘25)
Sunny Li (IM, ‘24)
Edward Luna (IM, ‘24)
Danny O’Grady (IM, ‘24)
Samantha Park (IA, ‘25)
Taven Rong (IM, ‘28)
Paul Seo (DM, ‘26)
Kaya Simsek (CAH, ‘26)
Kara Syn (IM, ‘24)
George Weichel (PD, ‘27)
Ryan Yoo (CAH, ‘25)
Beatrice Yu (PM, ‘28)
Jojo Yu (CMD, ‘25)

The following students were recognized as 2023 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. YoungArts Award Winners received a monetary award of $250 and those with Distinction are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week and have their work further evaluated for cash awards of up to $10,000. Attendees of National YoungArts Week who meet the eligibility requirements are also considered for nomination to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

YoungArts Award Winners:
Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25) – Voice (Popular & Singer-Songwriter)
Lyla Briggs (CMD, ‘26) – Dance (Ballet)
David Du (FTV, ‘24) – Film (Narrative)
Claire Harmsen (PM, ‘26) – Voice (Popular)
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25) – Classical Music (Violin)
Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26) – Dance (Hip-Hop)
Allie Molin (IM, ‘25) – Jazz (Trumpet)
Hugo Nguyen (PM, ‘24) – Voice (Jazz)
Arianna Ramirez (BF, ‘26) – Dance (World Dance: Mexican Folkloric)
Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24) – Voice (Classical: Soprano)
Bella Silva (IA, ‘26) – Dance (Tap)
Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25) – Dance (Hip-Hop)
Preston Walker (BCD, ‘26) – Dance (Tap)
Chloe Woo (IM, ‘27) – Writing (Nonfiction)

YoungArts Award With Distinction Winners:
William Bolin (CV, ‘24) – Voice (Classical Bass)
Asher Hinton (PM, ‘24) – Voice (Popular & Singer-Songwriter)
Jaime Jung (CW, ‘24) – Writing (Spoken Word)
Evee Lee (CMD, 26) – Dance (Modern Contemporary)
Bella Silva (IA, ‘26) – Dance (Tap)