2024 OC Artist of the Year nominees announced

The Orange County Register announced the list of nominees for the annual Artist of the Year program, and CUSD had 101 students nominated in the seven categories. There will be 16 semifinalists selected in each discipline, followed by the winners and finalists in April.

Students were chosen by a panel of teachers based on written statements, performance videos or design portfolios, and artistic resumes. This year, when students filled out their portion of the nomination application, they were asked to list their strongest specialty in this discipline. In past years, teachers chose this for them.The nominees are listed below with an endorsement from their nominating teacher, the identification of their strongest specialty and a link to their work. Those students missing their specialty and link did not complete their application, however, they are still considered nominees because they are being honored by their teacher and school.

During the final round of adjudication, students are interviewed by a panel of distinguished artistic professionals and faculty members from Southern California universities as well as a few representative high school teachers. Interviews include a live presentation by the students followed by a question-and-answer session.

Name School Specialty
DANCE
Tatum Bolton San Juan Hills Contemporary
Lyrah Cabrera Dana Hills
Grace DeGroot San Juan Hills Contemporary:Broadway
Kate Hoskin San Juan Hills
Morgan Landrigan San Juan Hills
Summer Lewis San Juan Hills Contemporary:Broadway
Hanna McCabe San Juan Hills Contemporary: Jazz
Amelea Mui San Juan Hills Contemporary
Danica Robertson San Juan Hills Contemporary: Jazz
Dana Smith Aliso Niguel Contemporary
Kaya Tretter San Juan Hills
FILM & TV
Lincoln Scott Cole Capistrano Valley Editing: Documentary
Milo Ambrose Gasset Capistrano Valley Editing: Narrative
Dominic Phan Capistrano Valley Directing: Documentary
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Laili Aissi Tesoro
Ceren Altinitas Capistrano Valley Classical: Western, 20th/21st Century (Modernism and After) –
Flute
Owen Bott Tesoro
Daniel de La Cruz Tesoro Classical: Western, Early (Medieval to Romantic Periods) –
Viola
Luke Frank Capistrano Valley
John Fredette Tesoro
Teadora Grimberg Capistrano Valley
Tae Eun Jun Aliso Niguel
Samuel Lee Capistrano Valley
Kira Likar Capistrano Valley Folk: American Violin
Luke Maillefer Capistrano Valley
Andrew Nunez Capistrano Valley
Hannah Ratanapratum Capistrano Valley Classical: Western, Early (Medieval to Romantic Periods) –
Cello, Piano
Tala Siksek Tesoro
Marenna Speiker Capistrano Valley
Evelyn Toner Capistrano Valley Classical: Western, Early (Medieval to Romantic Periods) –
Soprano Saxophone
Jaiden Vinh Capistrano Valley Classical: Western, Early (Medieval to Romantic Periods) – Piano
VOCAL MUSIC
Salonee Agrawal Tesoro Pop
Mia Dean Capistrano Valley
Magda Afra Loreto Capistrano Valley Folk
Brixie Bee Mathewson Tesoro Musical Theater Voice
Mia Muscarella Tesoro Musical Theater Voice
Ramon Nacpil Capistrano Valley Pop
Eva Stone Tesoro Jazz
Ava Terlouw Tesoro Classical: Art Songs
Gabe Tiscareno Capistrano Valley
Brooke Walker Tesoro Country
Miranda Young Tesoro Musical Theater Voice
THEATER
Gabriella Badgwell Dana Hills
Arbel Ben-Abraham Capistrano Valley Design: Costumes
Jessica Beutler Dana Hills Musical Theater Performance
London Braithwaite San Clemente Musical Theater Performance
Jordan Brown Aliso Niguel Musical Theater Performance
McKenzie Cahill Capistrano Valley Musical Theater Performance
Evelin Chavez Dana Hills Marketing and Publicity
Shannon Coppola San Juan Hills Design: Costumes
Grace Dimapilis Aliso Niguel Design: Lighting
Dylan Droege Capistrano Valley Design: Lighting
Luke Dunphy San Juan Hills
Imaan Entezar Capistrano Valley
Allison Garrel Tesoro Musical Theater Performance
Lindsey Garrel Tesoro Acting
Arna Lisa Gnielinski San Juan Hills Musical Theater Performance
Ariana Gomez Tesoro Acting
Molly Graff San Clemente
Deven Grover Tesoro Acting
Lucy Himmelberg Dana Hills Musical Theater Performance
Sydney Holland San Juan Hills Musical Theater Performance
Grace Holley San Juan Hills Design: Costumes
Abby Jacobs Tesoro Acting
Talar Keshishian Aliso Niguel Directing
Jacob Koclanis San Juan Hills Musical Theater Performance
Daisy Koprowski Capistrano Valley Acting
Tre Kuhn San Clemente
Chelsea Morales San Juan Hills Acting
Grace Nachreiner San Clemente Musical Theater Performance
Mars O’Kane Dana Hills Design: Lighting
Mia Perez Aliso Niguel Directing
Leo Perry San Juan Hills Acting
Allison Piwonka San Juan Hills Acting
Chris Preusse Tesoro
Noah Reynen Capistrano Valley
Lauren Rigby Tesoro Musical Theater Performance
Vanessa Roselli San Juan Hills Stage Management
Ellie Smallwood Tesoro Acting
Felicity Stephan Musical Theater Performance
Tristan Theard-Garcia Dana Hills Musical Theater Performance
Odie Thomas Dana Hills Musical Theater Performance
Gage Williams-Whitney Tesoro
FINE ARTS
Taylor Abbott San Clemente Mixed Media: Mixed 2D Styles
Kai Coleman Aliso Niguel
Cristal E. De Los Santos Capistrano Valley Painting: Oils, Acrylic, Tempera, Alkyd
Theo Green Capistrano Valley
Melanie Hui San Juan Hills Mixed Media: Mixed 2D Styles
Paige Kavert San Juan Hills Painting: Oils, Acrylic, Tempera, Alkyd
Seema Shanti Kulkarni San Juan Hills Drawing: Pencils, Pens, Markers, Crayons, Silverpoint
Nox Lane Aliso Niguel
Lauren Melchor Riano Aliso Niguel Painting: Gouache and Color Pencil
Erin Monahan Aliso Niguel Painting: Oils, Acrylic, Tempera, Alkyd
Ivan Shaternik Capistrano Valley
Dylan Alec Tam Dana Hills Carving
Tess Vo San Juan Hills Painting: Watercolor, Gouache
Arian Wong Capistrano Valley Drawing: Pencils, Pens, Markers, Crayons, Silverpoint
Kelsey Yi San Juan Hills
MEDIA ARTS
Ares Alicajic San Juan Hills Digital Art
Chloe Gangloff San Juan Hills Digital: Photoshop, Adobe Animate
Charlie Sisley Capistrano Valley

 

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