The Orange County Register held its annual Artist of the Year competition in April, showcasing the creative talents of high school students throughout the county. In the seven categories, CUSD had 89 students nominated for the distinguished awards. Of that group, 10 were named semifinalists and three were among the 35 finalists announced on May 1.
San Juan Hills senior Jadyn Fox was a finalist in Theater in the theatrical design specialty. Capistrano Valley junior Miguel Angel Tiscareno was a finalist in Instrumenal Music in the world/cultural and commercial music specialty. Tesoro senior Zach Pehrson was a finalist in Vocal Music in the commercial voice specialty.
Students were chosen by a panel of teachers based on written statements, performance videos or design portfolios, and artistic resumes. 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 quesiton-and-answer session.
OC Artist of the Year Semifinalists
Full list of CUSD students nominated for OC Artist of the Year (semifinalists in bold)
|
Name |
School |
Specialty |
|
DANCE |
||
|
Samantha Dwyer |
SCHS |
Commercial Dance |
|
Riley Fox |
DHHS |
Commercial Dance |
|
Grace Giranda |
SCHS |
Commercial Dance |
|
Mercedes Granese |
SJHHS |
Commercial Dance |
|
Jacey Greene |
SJHHS |
Commercial Dance |
|
Taylor Harvey |
SCHS |
Commercial Dance |
|
Ava Olsen |
SJHHS |
Commercia Dance |
|
MK Sills |
SJHHS |
Concert Dance |
|
Megan Tillotson |
SJHHS |
Concert Dance |
|
Holly Walker |
SJHHS |
Concert Dance |
|
Maddie Burks |
SCHS |
Street Dance |
|
THEATER |
||
|
Nathaniel W. Chin |
SJHHS |
Acting |
|
Bella De Marco |
THS |
Acting |
|
Molly Fineberg |
THS |
Acting |
|
Kaasandra Georgi |
SJHHS |
Acting |
|
Natalie Hidalgo |
ANHS |
Acting |
|
Brielle Jenkins |
SCHS |
Acting |
|
Tanner Lloyd |
SCHS |
Acting |
|
Bailey Moroson |
SJHHS |
Acting |
|
Alexa Rae Roemer |
SJHHS |
Acting |
|
Alex Ushiyama |
DHHS |
Acting |
|
Benjamin Yawn |
SCHS |
Acting |
|
Alaina Arbiso |
SJHHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Erin Kathleen Brennan |
ANHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Liam Hallinan |
SCHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Daylene Iway |
THS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Peyton Holloman |
ANHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Liv Hottinger |
SCHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Daisy Lynn Kopenhefer |
SCHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Marina Kosor |
DHHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Isabelle Le |
CVHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Abigail Matossian |
SCHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Christian D McCleary |
SCHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Andrea Nalbandian |
SJHHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Austyn Perrone |
DHHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Mikayla Procter |
THS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
William Redmond |
SCHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Amanda Shea |
THS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Natalia Vassilian |
THS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Sophia White |
SJHHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Regan Wood |
THS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Taylor Zieienbach |
SJHHS |
Musical Theater Performance |
|
Michala Ballard |
DHHS |
Theatrical Design |
|
Nolan Crosby |
SJHHS |
Theatrical Design |
|
Aishah Flores |
SJHHS |
Theatrical Design |
|
SJHHS |
Theatrical Design |
|
|
Carter Bradley |
SCHS |
Theatrical Design |
|
Jessica Nero |
THS |
Theatrical Design |
|
Leilani Obana |
SJHHS |
Theatrical Design |
|
Kasey Rocha |
DHHS |
Theatrical Design |
|
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC |
||
|
Emma Anousheh Azhan |
CVHS |
Piano and Strings |
|
Evan Lipofsky |
SCHS |
Piano and Strings |
|
Timothy Healy |
CVHS |
Winds and Percussion |
|
Abigail Liebmann |
CVHS |
Winds and Percussion |
|
Nicholas Legaspi |
CVHS |
World/Cultural and Commercial Music |
|
Miguel Angel Tiscareno |
CVHS |
World/Cultural and Commercial Music |
|
VOCAL MUSIC |
||
|
Caroline Field |
DHHS |
Classical Voice |
|
Melody Hancock |
THS |
Classical Voice |
|
Christina Mueller |
THS |
Classical Voice |
|
Claire Nguyen |
SJHHS |
Classical Voice |
|
Abby Olson |
THS |
Classical Voice |
|
Julia Tonai |
SJHHS |
Classical Voice |
|
Lauren Trustee |
THS |
Classical Voice |
|
Rebecca Bourne |
SJHHS |
Commercial Voice |
|
Sage Escalante |
DHHS |
Commercial Voice |
|
Raveena Khetarpal |
SCHS |
Commercial Voice |
|
Zach Pehrson |
THS |
Commercial Voice |
|
Natalia Vassilian |
THS |
Commercial Voice |
|
Izzy Watts |
THS |
Commercial Voice |
|
Alaina Arbiso |
SJHHS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Leah Rachelle Cook |
SJHHS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Molly Fineberg |
THS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Priyana Khanna |
THS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Peyton Kirkner |
SJHHS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Daisy Lynn Kopenhefer |
SCHS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Alysea Loreto |
CVHS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Christian D McCleary |
SCHS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Andrea Naibandian |
SJHHS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Mikayla Procter |
THS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
Amanda Shea |
THS |
Non-Classical Voice |
|
COMPUTER-ASSISTED VISUAL ARTS |
||
|
Erica Sjoholm |
DHHS |
Computer Drawing and Painting |
|
HANDCRAFTED VISUAL ARTS |
||
|
Colleen Hilliard |
CVHS |
Ceramics |
|
Middori McConathy |
CVHS |
Ceramics |
|
Isabella Deacon |
ANHS |
Hand Drawing and Painting |
|
Bethany Grabowski |
CVHS |
Hand Drawing and Painting |
|
Sophia Hu |
ANHS |
Hand Drawing and Painting |
|
Lee Hun Lim |
CVHS |
Hand Drawing and Painting |
|
Edda Montenegro |
ANHS |
Hand Drawing and Painting |
|
FILM AND ANIMATION |
||
|
Elika Bathaee |
CVHS |
Directing and Editing |