艺术状态

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

JJ Barton (PM, ‘26) and his band, Duct Tape, played live at the renowned Hollywood venue Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Boulevard. JJ is the lead vocalist for Duct Tape, a classic-rock, edgy hits band.

Acting instructor and past director of OCSA Thespians Donald Amerson and Acting instructor and current director of OCSA Thespians Vanessa Cortez, along with Tessa Espinola (ACT, ‘25), Mia Geise (MT, ‘24), Atalia Lewis (MT, ‘24), Maggie Moland (ACT, ‘24), attended the International Thespian Festival (ITF) at the University of Indiana in Bloomington. ITF is a week-long showcase where young thespians can take workshops and show off their skills. At the festival, Atalia won an award for Solo Musical and Maggie won an award for Solo Acting.

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

Alisa Melendez (MT, ‘16) was cast as the lead of Sophie in the “Mamma Mia!” San Diego Tour. She was also featured in San Diego Magazine in an article that highlights her journey as a stage performer and her passion for her hometown of San Diego. To read the San Diego Magazine article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3TdKPFz

Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24) was featured in the Orange County Register for her recycling program that has gone national. She started a non-profit called the Recycling Dictionary that holds workshops across Orange County to educate younger students about smart recycling practices. In addition, Jiin authored a children’s book about recycling and developed an app that offers details on whether and how to recycle more than 500 common items. To read more, please visit: https://bit.ly/3t4XxvJ

Lucy Hunter (FTV, ‘26) was featured in a Daily Pilot article about her directorial debut, “You Should Be Dead,” a YouTube horror series that focuses on teens coping with loss and grief. The series is very personal to Lucy as it was inspired by the loss of her own father. Lucy started writing the show at the age of 12 and shared that the scripting has now been completed, which will amount to 44 episodes across four seasons. Two episodes are currently available to view on YouTube. To read the Daily Pilot article, please visit: https://bit.ly/4ac5RL5

Miley Jane Gavarrete (MT, ‘26) was cast in the Broadway On Tour Youth Theater’s production of “Les Misérables” in July 2023 at the Ebell Theater of Santa Ana.

Science instructor and Science Olympiad coach Heather Jonson was invited by NASA to attend the launch of their Psyche mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The goal of the Psyche mission is to send a spacecraft to a unique metal asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

Science instructors and Science Olympiad coaches Jessica Daniel and Heather Jonson were featured alongside their Science Olympiad students in a promotional television spot sponsored by L’Oreal Paris, which premiered during “LEGO Masters” on FOX. The video spotlights women in STEM. To watch, please visit: https://bit.ly/3sYs9zc

Milo Karnes (IA, ‘24) and Abbi Park (CW, ‘24) earned perfect scores on their AP Research exam, making them part of a select group of only 1.26% of students worldwide who received this distinction.

Jamie Jung (CW, ‘24) received a $500 Honorable Mention in the 2023 Discovery Award Competition through the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. For the competition, Jamie recited a 10-minute monologue on Marth Lum and the fight to end school segregation for Chinese Americans in the 1920’s.

Alexa Wildish (MT, ‘06) performed on season 24 of “The Voice” and all the coaches turned toward her as she sang a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird.” Alexa was chosen to be on Niall Horan’s team and made it to the Playoff episode.

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.

West Mulholland (ACT, ‘23) was cast in the role of Mitch Crenshaw in MGM and David Slade’s Halloween horror film “Dark Harvest.” This movie takes place in a midwestern town in the 1960’s, where teenagers must ensure a good harvest by spending every Halloween hunting down a mythical creature. The movie premiered in select theatres and is now available on streaming services.

Maggie Moland (ACT, ‘24) was cast as Regan MacNeil in John Pielmeier’s new stage adaptation of the novel “The Exorcist,” performed at Golden West College Theater.

Aubrey Banaag (BCD, ‘27) was accepted into the Royal Ballet School of London, England, where she trained for two weeks over the summer. Of the 28 students accepted worldwide into this program, Aubrey was one of five from the USA and the only student from California. Aubrey also won Third Place in the Junior Classical Dance category in the San Diego regional competition of the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP).

Social Studies instructor and Model United Nations club advisor Lana Sawalha was named an Outstanding Educator by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Ms. Sawalha received this honor due to her excellent educational leadership skills and her efforts to enter multiple OCSA student projects in the 2023 National Discovery Award Competition, which gives students in grades 4-12 the opportunity to use their creative talents to tell the remarkable stories of unsung heroes who have inspired change.

Ryan Reithmeier, Director of the Classical Voice Conservatory, performed as a baritone in “American Cabaret: A Continent of Color,” at the Pacific Opera Project (POP) HQ in Highland Park last October. Mr. Reithmeier performed alongside pianist David Clemensen in this recital as a part of POP’s Inaugural Artist Series. The event explored diverse cultures and languages through rare 20th century American songs.

Ryley Gamez (PD, ‘24) played scare-actor Catawampus this fall at Knott’s Scary Farm and was featured in the Origins: Curse of Calico Maze. The costume, weighing twenty pounds, required six-inch platform shoes and a five-pound head.

Juliet Garbacz (MT) moved to London, England to attend The Upper School at the Royal Ballet. This school, accredited by the University of Roehampton, allows students ages 16-19 to train in classical ballet and eventually earn a BA in Classical Ballet and Dance Performance. Around 100 students representing 17 different countries attend each school year.

Ethan Baker (IA, ‘26) won the Junior Division Gold Medal at the Orange Coast Mixed Foil Competition in Santa Ana. Foil is one of three types of weaponry used in the sport of fencing.

Asher Hinton (PM, ‘24) won First Place in the Teen Division at the Unsigned Only Music Competition with his original song “Whisper.” He competed against other recording artists from around the world and was judged by well-respected figures in the music industry.

Noah Flores (VA, ‘28) and his baseball team, The Dirtbags, won the SoCal Intermediate Tournament of Champions in June, capping off their undefeated season 18-0. In July, Noah also took Third Place in the 13-and-under Small Ball category at the United States Handball Association (USHA) Junior Three Wall National Tournament. In addition, he received First Place in the Big Ball Doubles category of the Junior Vasquez State Three Wall Championship.

Anthony Arreola (BF, ‘24) was offered the opportunity to be a dance instructor at Relámpago del Cielo Grupo Folklórico. Relámpago del Cielo, which means “Lightning from the Sky,” focuses on “bringing the thunder” through intricate performances based on the traditions of the folkloric dance of Mexico.

Creative Writing Conservatory instructor Megan Friess had her teaching narrative, titled “Teaching Rhetoric Without a License,” published in a collection called “Threshold Conscripts: Rhetoric and Composition Teaching Assistantships.” The collection explores the diversity and complexity of universities through the lens of teaching assistants (TA) and how different collegiate programs help shape TA identities and practices.

Janice Lee (ACT, ‘29) starred in a Hershey Company commercial featuring Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Kit Kat for the Halloween season. The commercial originally aired in 2022 and was later renewed for 2023. To watch the commercial, please visit: https://bit.ly/472e0it

The following students performed in the children’s choir that was featured in the musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” presented by McCoy Rigby Entertainment at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Cameron Avery (ACT, ‘27)
Jasmine Melwani (IA, ‘25)
Adrienne Morrow (MT, ‘25)
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez (PM, ‘27)
Sydney Sublette (CV, ‘26)
Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25)
Ava Villacorta (MT, ‘27)
Emma Woodward (CV, ‘27)

Adrienne Morrow (MT, ‘25) was cast as Louisa in “The Sound of Music” at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, presented by Musical Theatre West.

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.

Jovie Leigh Ugerio (ACT, ‘27) received the Best Young Actress Award at the 3rd Annual iHollywood Film Festival for her role in the independent feature film “Free Lunch.” Jovie performed the role of Sadie, the mischievous new transfer that influences the main character, Sam, to step outside of his comfort zone.

Max Zazik (ACT, ‘29) was cast as Turkey Boy in South Coast Repertory’s “A Christmas Carol” in Costa Mesa.

Richard Arlo Kinsey, an instructor in the El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory who is also an illustrator, recently had the characters he created and fondly named “Purdee & Pals” adapted into a short animated film called “Baby Bee’s Boots," produced by Eden Films LTD in London. In addition, the film won Best Animation Short at the London Independent Film Awards.

Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23) was awarded the Outstanding Young Filmmaker Short at the 2023 Newport Beach Film Festival for her film “Ovaryacting.” She also won the Young Filmmakers Competition at the 2023 Austin Film Festival. Jordan was featured in an article by KVUE, Austin’s ABC affiliate, alongside Caleb Malis (IA, ‘23), who was the lead actor in the film. To read the article, please visit: https://bit.ly/46LHjWf

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.

Olivia Le (CW, ‘25) won the AutoEthnographer Student Scholarship for her collection of poems, “Born from Boat People.” She received a monetary award, publication, and was offered many other opportunities, such as participation in the AutoEthnographer podcast and the chance to help develop a column/feature for their magazine. Olivia was also the recipient of the Amanda Gorman Future Voices Poetry Prize offered by Beyond Baroque. This prize is open to high school students of color in California and awarded based on poetry/essay submissions that align with Amanda Gormon’s commitment to social change. Lastly, Olivia was asked by Get Lit to record a poem she wrote for the Women’s Journey Foundation at Load Bearing Studios in Santa Ana. This poem will be sent out to at-risk girls nationwide.

Noelani Pese (MT, ‘26) was named Miss California Jr. Teen 2023-2024 and was the first person of Samoan heritage crowned in the pageant’s history.

Logan Bailey (MT, ‘29) voiced the role of Pandy Paws in Dreamworks’ animated series “Gabby’s Dollhouse.” Logan became the new voice of the character starting in season 8 of the Netflix series.

Ballet, Pilates, & Yoga instructor Lauren Farris was accepted into the American Ballet Theater (ABT)’s invite-only Teaching Training Intensive at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. In the program, Ms. Farris will learn the theory and principles of the National Training Curriculum within the five levels of ballet.

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)

Julie Mejer (IA, ‘29) won First Place in her age group for piano at the LA Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition. She also won Third Place at the Charleston 19th Century Music Competition and a Special Mention in her age group for the London International Music Competition.

Julia Zhou (CV, ‘28) received Honorable Mention at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Evaluation Program (SEP). NATS SEP is a great opportunity for student singers to perform before a panel of NATS adjudicators in a positive and constructive format.

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) was featured on KCAL News’ Class Act series. The morning news segment featured what makes OCSA so special – specifically highlighting the Acting, Ballet Folklórico, Culinary Arts & Hospitality, Integrated Arts, and Popular Music Conservatories, in addition to showing off OCSA’s talented student artists. To view the video, please visit: https://bit.ly/3NhTd37

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.

Katia Miyamoto (CW, ‘24) published her first book, “The Undertow of Healing,” through Atmosphere Press. The book tells the story of one town’s grief and the choices made after a tragic loss. To read more about the book, please visit: https://bit.ly/3t5EeT7

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)

Lauren Gee (VA, ‘27) was granted a summer internship with the Singapore Wildcat Action Group as an illustrator. She worked on several different campaigns creating flyers and posters that support the group’s mission to protect endangered species, restore rainforests, and much more.

Gracie Silberman (ACT, ‘24) starred in a Volkswagen Atlas commercial, titled “Carpool Chaos,” that began airing during the summer. To watch the advertisement, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Nih6aR

Lex Ishimoto (CMD) performed with award-winning ballet dancer and director Tiler Peck in the dance programme “Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends.” After its sold-out premiere in New York, the show had its West Coast premiere at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

The following students and their art were featured this summer in the Junior Art Exhibit at the 2023 Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. The festival displays a variety of art exhibits, with categories such as 2D Art, 3D Art, and Film & Animation.

David Du (FTV, ‘24): “Life of a Mayfly”
Jordan Held (FTV, ‘23): “Ovaryacting”
Emily Wen (VA, ‘26): “Go Bananas”
Melody Wu (VA, ‘24): “Don’t Be Koi”
Charlotte Yoh (VA, ‘26): “The Dragonfly”
Cindy Zhang (VA, ‘24): “Self Portrait”

Chiara Cecconi (PD, ‘28) was cast as Girl About Town in “A Christmas Carol” at the South Coast Repertory Theater.

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)

Christian Lopez (CAH, ‘23) won the Aaron Sanchez Scholarship through the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. The opportunity includes full tuition to a Culinary Certificate Program at New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI), as well as an internship with paid housing, food and travel stipends, and mentorship from Chef Aaron Sanchez and other star chefs.

Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24) took part in the 2023 West Coast Parkour Championships. He was a member of the Firestorm Freerunning team and competed against 550 contestants from five different countries within his competition category. After going through several rounds of competition, Bryce advanced to the finals for the Speed and Freestyle categories. Bryce was also featured in an Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) Teen Council video that promotes the benefits of utilizing public transportation. To watch the video, please visit: https://bit.ly/3TfU0W6

Katelyn Hu (BR, ‘24), Bryce Leng (CV, ‘24), and Angel Shen (CV, ‘25) participated in the third annual Mid-Autumn Festival at the Great Park in Irvine. Representing the club they founded, the Chinese American Youth Art Leaders Club (CAYALC), the group performed traditional dance routines and took part in the Chinese Orchestra adding to the event’s cultural vibrancy.

Delila George-Taylor (BR, ‘29) took First Place in her age group/category at the California State Games for competitive figure skating, receiving three gold medals. She also earned First Place at the Falling Leaf Classic, First Place at the 58th Arrowhead Open, and Second Place at the Los Angeles 2023 All Year Open. Previously she placed second at the Skate By the Sea 2022 competition in her age group/category. Delila recently passed her United States Figure Skating Novice/Silver Skating Skills test and Pre-Bronze Ice Dance test. Double Lutz is her favorite jump.

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 (Ballet)
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)

Summer Brennan (PM, ‘25) released a single, “Lost in LA,” on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms. Inspired by her relationships, insecurities, and self-discovery, the lyrics of this song are very personal and relatable.

Rohan Soni (PM, ‘26) was a finalist in the 2023 Dragon Kim Fellowship Program competition for co-producing a documentary film titled “Dear Me.” The film focuses on chronic illness and mental wellness, which was inspired by his co-producer’s brother’s struggle with kidney disease. In addition, Rohan developed a mobile app that strives to create positivity through the art of journaling. Watch Rohan speak about it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6eFd4UQoXk > https://bit.ly/4a6Wdcw