STATE OF THE ART

The following students were cast in “Clue! The Murder Mystery Dinner Experience.” This production, based on the movie and board game, sold out within 72 hours of ticket announcement.

Mia Baron (CV, ‘23) as Mrs. Peacock
Katie Cruz (MT, ‘23) as Mrs. White
Ashlye Gambill (MT, ‘23) as Ms. Scarlett
Caleb Malis (IA, ‘23) as Mr. Green
Nathen McLaurin (MT, ‘23) as Professor Plum
Luke Witting (IA, ‘23) as Colonel Mustard

The OCSA Ambassador Jazz Orchestra has been selected as one of 15 finalists in the country to participate in the 2022 Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival in New York, hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Daniel Mattos, Chef Director of the Mekjian Family Culinary Arts & Hospitality Conservatory, was featured in an article by the Orange County Register about OCSA’s culinary Throwdown competition. For the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3q7yWC3

Mordecai Mehau (IA, ‘26) was selected to appear on "Real World Homecoming Los Angeles," now available on Paramount+.

Sarah Anderson (MT, ‘22), Zach Hoffman (ACT, ‘22), and Lauren Williams (ACT, ‘22) were cast and performed in "Les Miserables" with Braver Players Musical Theater Foundation as Cosette, Jean Valjean, and Fantine respectively.

President and CEO Teren Shaffer was recognized as one of Chapman University’s honored alumni. As a part of their 160th anniversary year, Chapman recognized students, alumni, faculty, staff, volunteers, and donors who are change makers, show bold leadership, demonstrate kindness and compassion, and show innovation that solves problems locally or around the globe.

Shannon Bae (PM) was featured in a KPopStarz article featuring Korean idols who once lived abroad before moving to Korea. For the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3KjLXQg

Sean Lee (IM, ‘18) released an online album of music videos with pianist Peter Dugan, titled "Paganini X Schumann: 9 Caprices." To view the full video series, please visit: https://bit.ly/35BfTc5

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

Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25) released a music video for her original song, “Boy.” To view the music video, please visit: https://bit.ly/3DwrhCv

The following members of the OC Biology Club participated in the USA Biology Olympiad Exam. Audrey Zhang (IM, ‘24) was also selected to advance to the semi-finals, which will take place in March.

Jessica Hong (CW, ‘24)
Tane Kim (IM, ‘24)
Grant Li (CW, ‘23)
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24)
Audrey Zhang (IM, ‘24)

Michael Morris (CV, ‘26) received first place in the VOCE Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC) Competition.

Isaac Sohn (IM, ‘25) received first place in the Intermediate (13 to 15 years old) category at the 2022 Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition and was invited to the winner's concert at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Dante Basco (MT, ‘93) and his family were featured in a Los Angeles Times front-page story about his recent directorial debut on his film "The Fabulous Filipino Brothers." For more info, please visit: https://lat.ms/3Kqv46y

Mia Soumbasakis’s (CW, ‘22) poem, entitled “An Offering & A Personal Love Letter — a response poem to Sanctuary by Donika Kelly,” was published in the zine "Mujeres Libres Anthology," Volume One by Mujeres Libres Press in January.

London San Luis (DM, ‘23) and Grace Jo (VA, ‘22) advanced to the top 50 in the Vans Custom Shoe Contest. This contest was created to inspire and empower high school students to embrace their creativity through art and design and bring attention to diminishing arts education budgets. The winning design will receive $50,000, which OCSA would use to build and outfit a brand new computer lab on campus.

Shayna Kaplan (IM, ‘23), Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23), and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) competed as members of the Chemistry Olympiad Team at the 2022 ACS Orange County Chemistry Olympiad at Irvine Valley College and earned sixth place out of all teams in Orange County.

Reese Hewitt (MT, ‘25) and Allie Patow (MT, ‘26) were cast and performed in the musical “Fun Home” at the Chance Theater, which was nominated for multiple 2021 Orange County Theatre Guild Awards, including Outstanding Production of a Musical. To read more about the other awards for which they were nominated, please visit: https://bit.ly/3IYkkLw

Caitlyn Mason’s (CW, ‘23) original script, “The Last Words of a Shooting Star,” was ranked as a finalist in the 2021 California Young Playwrights' Contest. Her other original play, “Dear Edith,” was ranked as a semi-finalist.

The following students competed in the ProStart Cup Culinary Competition among the top 16 teams from Southern California and received the following awards. The Management Team was also invited to the National ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C. The following Culinary Arts & Hospitality students were additionally featured on Spectrum News 1 for their participation in the ProStart competition. To check out the full story, please visit: https://bit.ly/3uJ85O7

First Place:

Wienerschnitzel's Dress Your Dog Competition
Mason Vair (CAH, ‘23)

Management Competition
Evelyn Wu (CAH, ‘23), Captain
Lanna Gale (CAH, ‘23)
Sam Laven (CAH, ‘23)
Willie Yao (CAH, ‘24)

Fourth Place:

Culinary Competition
Madison (Star) Lu (CAH, ‘22), Captain
Aurelia Carrie (CAH, ‘23)
Max Gilbert (CAH, ‘22)
Ryan Okajima (CAH, ‘23)
Trinity Wiideman (CAH, ‘24)

Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24) was selected to participate in one of two editions of the 2022 NEA/Herbie Hancock Institute’s National All-Star Peer-to-Peer Jazz Quintet, one of the most educative and prestigious programs in jazz education. This program includes an all-expenses-paid weeklong performance tour with internationally renowned jazz recording artist Sean Jones in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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:
Handcrafted Visual Arts:

Hand Drawing and Painting
London San Luis (DM, ‘23)
Xiaowei (Sophia) Wang (VA, ‘22)

Instrumental Music:

Piano and Strings
Xingyao Li (IM, ‘22)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22)

Vocal Music:

Classical Voice
Mia Paris Baron (CV, ‘23)

Commercial Voice
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22)

The following students participated in the California State Thespian Festival and received the following awards:

Gai Jones Senior Honor Thespian Scholarship:
Ethan Gray (ACT, ‘22)

Thespy Award Winners:

Solo Musical
First place: Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘22)

Duet Musical
First place: Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23) and Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)

Solo Monologue
Second place: Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Top Scoring (Thespy Superior):

Solo Musical
Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23)
Samantha Divis (MT, ‘25)
Mia Geise (MT, ‘24)
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)
Daniel Grossgold (IA, ‘24)
Chloe Ness (MT, ‘24)
Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25)
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘24)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)

Duet Musical
Meghan Barton (MT, ‘23)
Ella Gibson (PM, ‘23)
Brooklyn Vizcarra (MT, ‘24)
Landon Wouters (MT, ‘22)

Solo Monologue
Isabella Lloyd (IA, ‘25)
Kaya Sparnicht (ACT, ‘25)

Alyssa Kardos (ACT, ‘17) has continued her work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as an English Teaching Assistant through the U.S. Department of State's prestigious Fulbright Scholarship Program. She is using acting exercises at her public school to support English learning and engage in cultural exchange. Alyssa also started a community project titled "Re-Made in Cambodia" which promotes the work of young Cambodian fashion designers, musicians, dancers, and poets.

Camryn Mi-Young Kim (MT, ‘17) was cast as one of the whistleblowers, Erika Cheung, in the Hulu original series, “The Dropout,” which also features Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes.

The Middle School Science Olympiad Team qualified for state championships for the first time.

Michael Repper (IM, ‘08) recorded an album with the New York Youth Symphony, which had a single released by AVIE Records. The single is an excerpt from the adagio section of Florence Price's “Piano Concerto in One Movement.”

Hannah Solow (MT, ‘08) made her debut as Gertie Cummings in the national tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “OKLAHOMA!” To read more about her journey to the national tour stage, please visit: https://bit.ly/3NBZ4Pp

Creative Writing Faculty Member Tim Powers' newest novel, "Stolen Skies," was published in January.

Lola Suleiman (CW, ‘23) released a book titled “Predestined,” which is now available on Amazon as part of The Predestined Trilogy.

Hailey Andrews (CW, ‘18) has been awarded Yale University’s $50,000 Frederick Mortimer Clapp Fellowship.

Vanessa Prado (CMD, ‘06) was featured on Kimpton La Peer Hotel’s Instagram account for International Women’s Day, highlighting her work as Director of Sales & Marketing for the company. To view the post, please visit: https://bit.ly/3DpY1NT

Marlene Hall, Elective Dance Instructor, received an official government patent for her new and original exercise method that uses a rotator disc to help improve dancers’ turns, strength, and stability.

The Culinary Arts & Hospitality Conservatory was featured in an article by the Orange County Register regarding their recent Culinary Throwdown competition and benefit. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3ISJGul

Director of The El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory John Walcutt and Visual Arts Instructor Kathleen Fochtman-Gambs were nominated for the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators (OCMAA) Awards in recognition of their dedication to quality, equity, and access to arts programs for all students.

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

Adin Boyer (CV, ‘18) released a debut single, titled “Predicament.” To listen to the single and to learn more, please visit: https://bit.ly/3scvc31

Mya Gonzales (ACT, ‘23) was cast alongside award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix in the film "C’mon, C’mon" from A24.

The following students were involved in the creation of an original film, titled "Pho," which was shown at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in France.

Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) – Writer/Director/Editor
Aaron Orullian, Director of Film & Television – Executive Producer
Antone Axten (MT) – Cinematographer/Colorist
Darren Camaya (FTV, ‘21) – Production Assistant
Ella Beatriz Catacutan (CMD, ‘21) – Extras
Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) – Gaffer/Sound Mixer
David Du (FTV, ‘21) – Production Assistant
Ava Encinas (FTV, ‘21) – Producer
Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21) – Still Photographer
Cooper Hardwick (FTV, ‘21) – Still Photographer
Lilah Horton (CMD, ‘21) – Extras
Paris Phillips (FTV, ‘21) – Makeup Artist

The following students participated in the Pacific Symphony’s 2022 Opera Focus High School Vocal Competition and received the following awards:

First place: Mia Baron (CV, ‘23)
Second place: Lauren Kimball (VA, ‘24) and Estella Sky Keyoung (CV, ‘25)
Third place: Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)
Special Merit: Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24)
Honorable Mention: Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25), Mona George (CV, ‘25), and Aashna Rana (CV, ‘23)

Isla Walker’s (CW, ‘24) poem "Swimming at Night" was published in Blue Marble Review.

Leo Lai (CW, ‘24) has had his flash fiction story, "Irregular Dancing," accepted for publication in Teen Ink magazine.

Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23) was named a Grand Prize Finalist in The Music Center’s 34th Annual Spotlight Program out of more than 1,500 applicants. Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed arts training and scholarship program for teens that awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. She was selected among only 14 Grand Prize Finalists who will perform in a virtual grand finale event and receive a $5,000 scholarship.

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.

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.

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.

Samara Kohne (CV, ‘24) was accepted to the six-week Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artist Vocal Program.

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.

Joanne Javien (MT, ‘99), Ella Mardirossian (MT, ‘23), and OCSA Musical Theatre Instructor Gina Velez, participated in a production of “The Sound of Music” at La Mirada Theater of the Performing Arts.

Alyssa Kim (MT, ‘26) was cast in one of the lead roles of the short film “To The Lights” directed by Emily Kim.

Jacqueline Vellandi (ACT, ‘22) won the California Young Playwrights contest for her play “Reverie,” which was selected to be featured in the Young Writers Festival in May. To read more about her work, please visit: https://bit.ly/3OXUHPu

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)

Ethan Baker (IA, ‘26) received a silver medal at the Youth 14 Foil Fencing competition and Orange Coast Division's Summer National Championship qualifier. Ethan was selected to compete at the 2022 USA Fencing National Championships in July.

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)

Emily Barth (CW, ‘15) was featured in a ShoutOutLA article regarding her candle company, Scents by Scorpio. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3kHueHW

Edward Chen (IA, ‘24), Jasmine Lee (CMD, ‘26), Zoe Sharek (IA, ‘22), Devin Vo (IA, ‘26), and Jadon Vo (CMD, ‘25), as members of the hip-hop competition team Gravy Babies, won first place in the junior division of the 2022 Show Out Dance Competition in El Cajon, CA and received the highest scores among all competing teams in both adult and junior divisions.

Ashli St. Armant (MT, ‘03) produced her debut theatrical production, titled “NORTH.”

Alyssa Abiera (ACT, ‘26) was cast in the television series “Roar,” now available on Apple TV.

Emma Ward (IM, ‘22) won first place in the San Diego Concerto Competition in the Winds division. She was selected to be a featured soloist in two concerts with the Mira Costa Symphony Orchestra playing “Concerto for Piccolo” and “Orchestra, Op. 50” by Lowell Liebermann.

Evan Richards (CV, ‘22) and Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24) were recently invited to sing in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Los Angeles’ Winter Symposium Masterclass with internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano, Susan Graham.