STATE OF THE ART

Elizabeth Bancroft (BR, ‘26), Stella Mulholland (CAH, ‘26), and Talia Rosenblatt (AE, ‘26) created the nonprofit organization Meal Mentors, which offers culinary workshops, medical advocacy, and socioemotional support for teens with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The Meal Mentors team received the 2025 Honored Heroes of the Orange County Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation for their work with IBD pediatric patients.

Shaylin Bau (IM, ‘27), Jiwon Chung (IM, ‘27), Kira Efimenko (DM, ‘26), Avni Krishnamoorthy (PM, ‘26), and Sydney Malone (CV, ‘26) created Sing Out, a nonprofit afterschool program designed to provide vocal training for aspiring singers at Orange County Educational Arts Academy (OCEAA). Their goal is to build confidence in aspiring vocalists of all skill levels by developing vocal technique and stage presence with cost-free guidance from student mentors in an inclusive, collaborative, and supportive environment. Their team of student volunteers consisted of Tiffany Carr (CV, ‘26), Ellen Elkins (PM, ‘25) Alyssa Kim (MT, ‘26), Iz Le (PM, ‘26), Brianna Liauw (DM, ‘27), Milo Pack (IA, ‘28) and Cal Thornhill (PM, ‘25). The Sing Out team plans to expand the program, offering more performance opportunities and workshops, while continuing to mentor and support the next generation of young singers.

Allie Molin (IM, ‘25) was selected to tour with the Herbie Hancock Institute National Peer-to-Peer All-Star Jazz Sextet, including renowned jazz recording artist Don Braden. The program is one of the most prestigious jazz education programs in the country.

Kaitlyn Tice, Community Engagement Coordinator and Conservatory Instructor, spent 10 days in Verona, Italy attending the University of Verona’s Shakespeare and the Mediterranean International Summer School and the Verona Shakespeare Fringe Festival. After receiving an OCSA Artist Teacher Fellowship, Ms. Tice was able to study alongside fellow Shakespeare scholars from 20 different countries. She was also able to take a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London with Research Fellow and Professor Dr. Lucy Holehouse of the Royal Holloway, University of London.

Zoya Kolapalli (IA, ‘30) was named 2024 Junior Olympic All American First Team for her performance with the Patriot Water Polo Club. Zoya also took home the Gold with her team in the Kap7 Water Polo Champions Cup Girls Division.

Aarav Putrevu (CAH, ‘26) published a culinary workbook for kids titled “Gourmet Gurus.” Aarav’s work equips kids with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their food and prepare affordable, tasty, and nutritious meals. The aim of “Gourmet Gurus” was not only to inspire students' taste for the culinary arts, but also to empower them to appreciate a rich variety of cultural and ethnic cuisines while preparing healthy meals that satiate both mind and body.

Vedant Dayal (CW, ‘25) and Ashima Sharma (CW, ‘25) started a program called Heart-to-Art! This initiative brings the joy of expressive arts, such as dance, acting, visual arts, guitar, singing, creative writing, and drums, to pediatric cancer patients, survivors, and their families in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas. Over 2,000 kids have already experienced the magic of creativity thanks to their work. They originally earned a $5,000 grant from the Dragon Kim Fellowship during spring 2024. Vedant and Ashima went on to win the top prize at the Dragon Kim Challenge, held at the Margaret A. Webb Theatre, where they were awarded an additional $5,000 to expand the Heart-to-Art program.

Kiara Widjaja (IA, ‘27) won First Place in the Open Elite Teen 15-17 division for her aerial rope performance at the West Coast Aerial Arts Festival (WCAAF). The 12th season of the WCAAF four-day aerial competition event was open to students, performers, professionals, enthusiasts, and families who want to showcase their talents as aerial artists.

Logan Bailey (MT, ‘29) continued his role as Pandy Paws in the 10th season of Dreamworks’ “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” which can be viewed on Netflix. Logan was also featured in three songs, “Bad Day,” “Better Together,” and “Christmas Together,” from “Gabby’s Dollhouse.” In addition, he was featured in an episode of the “Bedtime Stories – MerCat’s Mermaid Sleepover” podcast.

Taran Silverthistle (CW, ‘26) was a recipient of the Workforce Readiness Initiative at the Boys & Girls Club of America. Taran far exceeded the volunteer hours needed to receive the award due to his dedication in his club’s performing arts program. In addition, he also received recognition as one of the Youth Of The Month, representing his local Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley.

Charlize Patmon (ACT, ‘27) starred in “My Own Hair,” a short film based on the true story of Renda Pettis, a Kinesiology professor at Biola University, and the pushback and punishment she received for wearing her natural hair to middle school in the 1960’s.

Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25) released two original songs in 2024, “Hear Me” and “Pretty,” with an upcoming EP set to be released in spring 2025. Both songs can be streamed on all major streaming platforms. Watch a live performance of “Pretty” here: https://bit.ly/4fg7997

Robert Timothy Smith (ACT, ‘29) was casted as Liam Turner in the movie “Dear Santa,” co-starring Jack Black. Robert was also cast in the Disney+ series, “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.”

Noelani Pese (MT, ‘26) was named National American Miss Junior Teen for 2023-2024. Noelani was previously Miss California Junior Teen 2023-2024.

Miley Jane Gavarrete (MT, ‘26) was cast as Frieda in the Chino Community Children’s Theatre production of “Carrie: The Musical.” The stage version of the horror classic ran from late October to early November 2024 at the Seventh Street Community Theater.

Brent Cho (ACT, ‘27) and Ellie Yoshino (BCD, ‘27) created a nonprofit organization called B.E. Partners in Art. The organization’s goal is to spread the love of art to communities and children who have limited art opportunities due to disabilities or economic difficulties. Brent and Ellie partnered with Beyond Blindness, a long-time pioneer in education for children with disabilities, to run a few summer camps and are planning future art activities.

Nathaniel Sprague (IM, ‘26) won First Place in his division at the Fourth Barum International Piano Competition at California State University, Long Beach. As a First Place winner, he also was awarded a cash prize.

Sebastian Chang, Instrumental Music Conservatory Instructor in the Pianist Program, performed in the second live score presentation of the classic silent film “Nosferatu” with the Louisville Orchestra. The haunting score uses different motifs to represent different characters in this iconic 1922 film.

Eliana Chong (DM, ‘28), Akari Kobayashi (DM, ‘28), Abby Liu (DM, ‘28), Jewel Min (DM, ‘28), and Luvelle Prakarsa (DM, ‘28) participated in the 24 Hours Animation Contest by Legends Animated. Their group created a 30-second short film that deals with the impact of AI on the future of art.

Natalie Xu (IM, ‘29) won First Place in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) State Competition in the Junior Strings category for violin.

Delila George-Taylor (BR, ‘29) ranked in the top three of figure skaters in Southern California. She also won 14 gold medals during the 2024 figure skating season.

Mia Soumbasakis (CW, ‘22) was selected as a playwright for the 49th Pilipinx Cultural Night (PCN), a student-run theatrical production and the longest running cultural show at University of California, Berkeley. PCN allows participants to explore their Pilipinx identity through creative mediums such as dancing, acting, and music.

Clara Han (BCD, ‘28) and Kristin Yee (CMD, ‘28) were cast in “The Fire Within,” choreographed by Anna Hirko, which was performed as part of the 2024 Reconstruct Exhibition at The Alex Theatre in Glendale.

Commercial Dance Conservatory students performed at the prestigious Palm Desert Choreography Festival, where they competed against college and professional dancers from around the world. The festival was adjudicated by college deans, Hollywood agents, industry choreographers, and major dance donors. Students were also able to take free master classes from nationally recognized choreographers. Read the featured article on the event here: https://bit.ly/49AR7Fy

Sofia Malone (ACT, ‘27), Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘23), and Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25) wrote and starred in the short film “The Lethe.” This sci-fi film is about three college students who create a memory-altering device, but clash over the intended uses of their ground-breaking invention. The film was accepted into multiple film festivals, including the LA Shorts International Film Festival, Los Angeles Lift Off Film Festival, and Around International Film Festival Berlin. The film was awarded Best Thriller at the LA Film Awards, as well as Best Picture at the Old Towne Film Festival, held at The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana.

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) was featured in a photo essay in the Orange County Register that highlighted Halloween festivities throughout Orange County. The piece included photos of OCSA’s annual costume contest and “Thriller” flash mob dance. View it here: https://bit.ly/3ZwZQUM

The following Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) students placed in or won their divisions in the annual National Association of Teachers of Singing - Los Angeles (NATS-LA) Student Evaluations Program.

High School Commercial All Voices
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - First Place
Liam Posos (CV, ‘28) - Honorable Mention

Lower High School Classical High Voices
Willow Wu (CV, ‘27) - Third Place
Reese Guenther Clark (CV, ‘27) - Honorable Mention

Lower High School Classical Treble
Olivia Song (CV, ‘28) - First Place
Lubaina Habib (CV, ‘28) - Second Place
Simi Goyal (CV, ‘28) - Third Place

Lower High School Musical Theatre Treble
Leila Woodward (CV, ‘26) - First Place

Musical Theatre Youth
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - First Place

Upper High School Classical High Voices
Amber Bach (CV, ‘26) - Third Place

Upper High School Classical Lower Voices
Jack Wilson (CV, ‘25) - First Place
Henry Courtney (CV, ‘26) - Second Place
Liam Posos (CV, ‘27) - Third Place

Upper High School Classical Treble
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - First Place
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - Second Place
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25) - Honorable Mention
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - Honorable Mention

Upper High School Musical Theatre
Eliza Tait (CV, ‘25) - First Place
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) - Second Place
Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25) - Third Place

Youth Voices Classical
Keanu Ho (CV, ‘29) - First Place

Jacob Jung (IM, ‘29) earned Second Place at the 29th Annual Mojica Judo Invitational. Representing El Toro Judo Club, Jacob competed in the Junior Boys 13-14 division.

Nava Tate (MT, ‘27) made her debut with the Long Beach Symphony, led by music director Eckart Preu, during the RuMBa Foundation Family Concert: Magical Musical Kingdom in October at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. Nava was selected by Maestro Preu to perform as a soloist with over 50 professional world-class musicians. Watch a portion of her performance here: https://bit.ly/41AbgcP

Jack Chen (DM, ‘28) earned the title of National Champion in the Recurve U15 division at the 2024 USA Archery Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) Target Nationals and JOAD U.S. Open.

Gordon Rocks (CW, ‘28) attended the premiere of “Griffin in Summer” at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Gordon starred alongside actors Kathryn Newton, Everett Blunck, Owen Teague, and many others. The movie, written and directed by Nicholas Colia, won the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature, as well as two additional awards – Special Jury Mention for New Narrative Director and Best Screenplay for a U.S. Narrative Feature.

Mikah Toyama (CV, ‘26) won the National College Showcase Tournament with her soccer team, the SoCal Blues, for the 2023-2024 season. Mikah also played for the Laguna United Football Club.

Robert Norman, Classical Voice Instructor, and Ryan Reithmeier, Classical Voice Director, performed solos for the Bach Cantata Series at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Orange with the Cathedral Choir and Orchestra in October 2024. William Bolin (CV, ‘24) sang in the choir as well.

Amelia Emde (MT, ‘27) was cast in a commercial for C Spire, a wireless carrier company. Watch Amelia in the commercial here: https://bit.ly/3OSJ0KZ

Isabella Both (MT, ‘25) won Third Place at the South Coast Singers’ 2024 Stars of Tomorrow Scholarship Competition. This program provides an opportunity for young Orange County high school vocalists to compete for scholarship money intended to assist them in pursuing their career goals.

The following El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory students received Certificates of Congressional Recognition from the United States House of Representatives for their outstanding volunteer work dedicated to women’s shelters and Native American reservations.

Aiden Lindsay (ACT, ‘27)
Sofia Malone (ACT, ‘27)
Chloelux Phan (ACT, ‘26)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)
Sophia Zavala (ACT, ‘27)

The following students were named 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. In order to compete for the scholarship, applicants must complete a detailed application and a written essay, have an outstanding academic record, and demonstrate leadership and service in the community.

Matthew Bay (PD, ‘25)
Yeeun Chung (CW, ‘25)
James Conroy (CV, ‘25)
Estella Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Hennah Kim (CW, ‘25)
Katherine Kim (CW, ‘25)
Matthew Martono (IM, ‘25)
Samuel Parigela (CW, ‘25)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Moss Perricone (FTV, ‘13) has joined the writing staff for “Saturday Night Live” for the show’s 50th anniversary season. Moss has previously worked as a writer for shows such as “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj,” the “Beavis and Butthead” reboot, and “Velma.”

Aiden Ahn (FTV, ‘27) received an Honorable Mention in the Korea Daily Student Art & Video Contest for his collaborative video, “A Beacon of Hope: Reviving the Museum.” The video highlights a group of second generation Korean-American high school students as they try to save a Korean-American Museum.

Tess Sacher (CV, ‘26) was selected as one of four Choral Scholars at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove. As part of the Cathedral Music Program, Choral & Organ Scholars present a recital at the conclusion of their year of study.

Emily Leo (CAH, ‘25), Max Madsen (CAH, ‘26), Tira Smith (CAH, ‘24), and Cynthia Zhou (CAH, ‘26) were featured in the September 2024 issue of Orange County Business Journal. The article gave praise to the students and their big win at the National ProStart Invitational, where they won the championship title.

Beatrice Main (MT, ‘29) was cast as JoJo in South Coast Repertory’s production of “Seussical” for their 2023-2024 performance season.

Ben Agran (PM, ‘27) and Deven Dhanidina (PM, ‘29) performed with their band, Head Wide Open, at Left Coast Brewing in Irvine. Ben plays guitar for the band and Deven is on vocals, as well as guitar and bass.

Isabella Both (MT, ‘25) and Lexie Shehab (PM, ‘27) received scholarship awards at the Berklee School of Music Vocal Summit in Boston, Massachusetts. The Vocal Summit is a five-day program with instruction in vocal technique, style, performance skills, singing with a band, group singing, and a cappella performance. Isabella performed in the Rock genre and Lexie performed in Jazz. Out of over 200 students attending the summit, only five scholarships were awarded.

Noah Flores (DM, ‘26) won the Division 30 Tournament of Champions with his South Sunrise Little League baseball team, The Dirtbags. They also won the District 30 All-Stars Tournament.

Aaron Chang (CMD, ‘26) made his acting debut in the coming-of-age movie “Didi (弟弟)” in the role of Soup. “Didi (弟弟)” premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.

RJ Higton (MT, ‘18) performed at the 77th Annual Tony Awards as Chet, his role in the Broadway musical, “The Outsiders.” The musical won four out of twelve nominations at the Tonys, including Best Musical.

Tim Powers, Creative Writing Conservatory Instructor, received the 2024 Comic-Con International’s Inkpot Award. Inkpot Awards are given to individuals for their contributions to the world of comics, science-fiction/fantasy, film, television, animation, and fandom services.

Helena Donato-Sapp (CW, ‘27) was named the 2024-2025 Long Beach Youth Poet Laureate and a finalist for the 2024-2025 Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles County, where she was recognized as an Los Angeles Youth Poet Ambassador. Additionally, she was invited by the California Teachers Association to be a keynote speaker for two different conferences. Helena spoke on the topic of disability justice, a topic she is well-versed in as a globally award-winning activist on disability rights and inclusion. Her global recognition has also led to her likeness being used as the design for the National Education Association’s “Get Out the Vote” banner by Art Build Workers, a group of artists, designers, photographers, and educators based out of Milwaukee.

Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26) earned Third Place and secured her spot as a top three finalist in the Lower High School Classical Treble category at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) National Competition in Knoxville, Tennessee. Sydney was previously a semifinalist in the Classical Voice and Musical Theatre categories in the 2023 National Competition.

Logan Bailey (MT, ‘29) was cast as the voice for Arnold, based on Nickelodeon’s “Hey Arnold!” cartoon, in a Paramount+ Superbowl commercial. Logan was also cast as the voice of Pandy Paws in season nine of Dreamworks’ animated series “Gabby’s Dollhouse” on Netflix. The songs he sang in the series can be found on Spotify on the “Gabby’s Dollhouse” page. Logan’s voicework for Pandy Paws is also featured in the Neon Wild interactive stories available in the App Store.

Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) was the 2023 First Place winner of the Stars of Tomorrow Scholarship Competition for Classical Voice, sponsored by the South Coast Singers. Madison had the honor of performing as a soloist with the South Coast Singers in the holiday concert “All is Bright” in December 2023.

Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘26) and Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24) placed second overall in the Rhythm Dance category at the 2024 United States National Amateur DanceSport Championships. Heather and Constantin were the only OCSA pair to compete in the competition and were the first in OCSA Ballroom’s history to win at the national level.

A group of OCSA students attended the 2024 United States National Amateur Dancesport Championships in Provo, Utah. The Latin Formation Team won Fifth Place in Division 1, while the Smooth Formation Team won Second Place in Division 2. Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘27) and Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24) also placed second overall in the Rhythm Dance category.

Smooth Formation Team
Mario Berestetsky (BCD, ‘27)
Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘27)
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24)
Gabriel Cho (BR, ‘24)
Bella Escobar-Sanchez (BR, ‘24)
Arely Gutierrez (BR, ‘25)
Jared Lee (BR, ‘24)
Liam Majerus (BR, ‘27)
Rylee Miyoshi (BR, ‘28)
Sammy Okada-Lam (BR, ‘26)
Aurelia Philmore (BR, ‘24)
Chloe Savage (BR, ‘24)
Jessica Shen (BR, ‘27)
Brody Silva (BR, ‘25)
Sean Sulit (BR, ‘24)
Celeste Valadez (BR, ‘24)
Alex Vargas (BR, ‘24)
Ariadna Vidal (BR, ‘24)
Felix Wang (BR, ‘27)
James Williams (BR, ‘26)
Selina You (BR, ‘27)
Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27)

A group of OCSA students attended the 2024 United States National Amateur Dancesport Championships in Provo, Utah. The Latin Formation Team won Fifth Place in Division 1, while the Smooth Formation Team won Second Place in Division 2. Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘27) and Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24) also placed second overall in the Rhythm Dance category.

Latin Formation Team
Heather Torres Cancino (BR, ‘27)
Constantin Chekardzhikov (BR, ‘24)
Eddie Chen (IA, ‘24)
Gabriel Cho (BR, ‘24)
Bella Escobar-Sanchez (BR, ‘24)
Presley Herthel (BR, ‘26)
Jack Hillebrecht (BR, ‘26)
Jared Lee (BR, ‘24)
Liam Majerus (BR, ‘27)
Rylee Miyoshi (BR, ‘28)
Marina Pitt (BR, ‘26)
Jessica Sigala (BR, ‘27)
Brody Silva (BR, ‘25)
Kaylee Tran (BR, ‘27)
Felix Wang (BR, ‘27)
James Williams (BR, ‘26)
Selina You (BR, ‘27)
Cynthia Zhang (BR, ‘27)

The Music Center announced their 2024 Spotlight semifinalists and honorable mentions. Spotlight is a nationally recognized competition, scholarship, and artistic development program.

SEMIFINALISTS

Acting
Isabella Kim (ACT, ‘25)

Ballet
Aubrey Banaag (BCD, ‘27)
Preston Walker (BCD, ‘26)

Classical Instrumental
Jesse Hu (IM, ‘28)
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24)
Keilah Park (IM, ‘25)

Classical Voice
Madison Becerra (CV, ‘25) - Honorable Mention
Chloe Ness (CV, ‘24)
Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

Contemporary Instrumental
Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

Dance
Jonathan Archer (CMD, ‘27)
Logan Macy (CMD, ‘27) - Honorable Mention
Lita Tello (CMD, ‘26)

Non-Classical Voice
Asher Hinton (PM, ‘24)

The Music Center announced their 2024 Spotlight winners. Spotlight is a nationally recognized competition, scholarship, and artistic development program. Out of 14 Grand Prize Finalists, three are from OCSA.

GRAND PRIZE FINALISTS

Andrea Martinez (BF, ‘25) - Dance
Isabella Silva (CMD, ‘26) - Dance
Savannah Tweedt (PM, ‘24) - Contemporary Instrumental

Noah Strattan (ACT, ‘20) performed his magic act alongside alumni Anna Melendres (CMD, ‘18) and Rachel Melendres (CMD, ‘18) at the 2024 New Year Celebration hosted by Kevin Hart at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The show, held in the Bristlecone Ballroom, was for over 1,000 very special guests of the MGM Resorts. Strattan currently lives in Las Vegas and has been performing magic there for the last three years. In addition, Strattan often visits Orange County to perform at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach as a resident performer.

Lisa Cho (VA, ‘25), Joseph Ho (IM, ‘24), Micah Lewison (CW, ‘24) and Brian Stevens (Director of Community Engagement) attended the second annual Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center at CHOC Conference in late March. Lisa, Joseph, and Micah are members of the Neurodiversity Club at OCSA. The conference featured keynote presentations, sessions, and panels that focused on community, inclusion of adults with disabilities, and teacher & student skills.

Kiara Widjaja (IA, ‘27) was second runner-up in the category of Amateur Tissu (Ages 13-14) at the 11th West Coast Aerial Arts Festival. This four-day competition recognizes the athletic skills and dedication of young Aerial Arts performers.