STATE OF THE ART

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

Elora Sparnicht (CW, ‘22) won the 2022 OC Poetry Out Loud competition.

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

Matthew Blam (IM, ‘24) was recently granted membership into the Young Composers Guild (YCG) upon recommendation by a panel of composition evaluators. The Young Composers Guild is the highest achievement that a Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC) high school composition student can attain.

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

Rick Messina (MT, ‘95) was nominated for an Artios Award for his work on the film "The Tender Bar."

Congratulations to OCSA’s Mock Trial Team, faculty advisor Whitney Coates, and volunteer coaches Justice Halim Dhanidina, Melissa Brandman, J.D, and Ethan Feng, J.D. for advancing to the Orange County finals for the first time and receiving second place after competing against rigorous competition. OCSA’s Gold team advanced to the top eight for only the second time in the program’s history. The following students competed as members of the team.

Sophia Abiera (ACT, ‘24)
Sruthi Alle (CV, ‘22)
Zabethah Bagnol (PD, ‘24)
Charlotte Brandman (MT, ‘23)
Sarah Demeter (CW, ‘25)
Sammy Dorfman (IA, ‘24)
V Garcia (ACT, ‘25)
Mona George (CV, ‘25)
Ethan Gray (ACT, ‘22)
Kennedy Harrison (PD, ‘25)
Sasha Herthel (ACT, ‘23)
Joshua Hizon (MT, ‘23)
Ashley Hodge (IA, ‘23)
Toby Izenberg (CW, ‘23)
Milo Karnes (IA, ‘24)
Claire Karr (VA, ‘23)
Emma Kay (ACT, ‘23)
Annabelle Kim (CW, ‘23)
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25)
Caitlin Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Emily Kim (CW, ‘24)
Fanny Kim (IA, ‘24)
Isabella Kim (ACT, ‘25)
Haley Kleinman (IA, ‘24)
Elaine Lim (FTV, ‘25)
Diego Linn (BR, ‘25)
Samantha Liu (IM, ‘23)
Regan Mading (IA, ‘23)
Katia Miyamoto (CW, ‘24)
Lucy Moriyama (ACT, ‘23)
Daisy Noh (IA, ‘22)
Kendall Phanco (VA, ‘23)
Colin Root (ACT, ‘22)
Ashima Sharma (CW, ‘25)
Cat Silva-Oliveira (IA, ‘24)
Ciara Tadeo (IA, ‘25)
Josie Wang (PM, ‘23)
Sophia Wilhelm (VA, ‘23)
Lacole Yang (CW, ‘24)

Jordan Guerrero (CW, ‘23) has had her epistolary fiction piece, "Umbrella Girl," published in Cathartic Youth Literary Magazine.

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

Vincent Virga (CW, ‘22) published his first book, a children's book titled "Bird of Stone." The story revolves around a stone gargoyle that offers lessons in kindness, caring, and teamwork.

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

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.

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.

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.

Jordan Cruz (MT, ‘21) was cast as one of the elves in a production of "Elf the Musical" with the equity theater Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lauren Young (PD, ‘26) co-created a charitable children's book cover for the Clinton Foundation.

Jennifer Vu (IM, ‘26) and Rachael Vu (IM, ‘24) received first place in the Sibling category at the United States International Duo Piano Competition in Colorado Springs. They performed the piece "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso" by Camille Saint-Saëns.

Kate Um (CV, ‘24) received the silver prize in the Canadian International Competition in the Rising Star category for classical voice.

Erin Tardibuono (MT, ‘25) was selected by producer Bruce Kimmel to sing "How Lovely to be a Woman / One Boy" and "Ship in a Bottle" in the 117th Kritzerland Cabaret Show at Feinstein's at Vitello's in Studio City.

Tane Kim’s (IM, ‘24) manuscript, titled "Analyzing TCGA Data to Identify Gene Mutations Linked To Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Asians," was accepted for publication in "Gastrointestinal Tumors" which is an international, peer-reviewed journal that brings together the leading opinions in all fields related to gastrointestinal cancer research. Tane also scored within the top five percent of scores on the American Math Competition Ten (AMC 10) and qualified for the 2022 American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) with distinction. This is his second time qualifying for AIME.

Sophia Madrigal (ACT, ‘22) was honored with an inaugural Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) Gold Award Scholarship. Sophia was selected for demonstrating extraordinary leadership while driving lasting change in her community and beyond through her nonprofit organization, Luke Madrigal Indigenous Storytelling, which focuses on the healing art of Indigenous storytelling. Through her project, Sophia led workshops and also wrote, directed, and performed in the play "Wildflower: Indigenous Spirit." To read more about Sophia’s project, please visit: https://bit.ly/3IA2Aqk

Lana Sawalha, an OCSA history teacher, was offered the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Fellowship in Scott, KS. The fellowship is awarded annually to educators who have distinguished themselves in teaching understanding and respect through project-based learning.

UNDECIDED FUTURE was featured in an article by Orange Coast Magazine. Band members include: Cole Fredrick (IM, ‘16) on guitar, Matt Jarnagin (FTV, ‘15) on lead vocals, Hayden Lyskoski (IM, ‘16) on bass, Matisse Pasillas (FTV, ‘15) on drums, and Nick Stone (IM, ‘15) on keys.

Members of the band Youthanize, Cash Lane (PM, ‘25), Maverick Lane (PM, ‘27), and Max Rossini (PM, ‘25), performed live at OCSA's All-Alumni Holiday Reunion. For more information about the band, please visit: https://bit.ly/3GZ5pAR

Elective and Conservatory Instructor Cameron Shim received his Level 1 Teaching Certification for Aerial Silks from Aerial Physique.

The OCSA Science Olympiad High School Team (Division C) competed in the BirdSO Mini Science Olympiad competition and placed 8th out of 160 teams. They also competed in the National Invitational Science Olympiad Satellite competition where they placed 21st out of 236 teams. The students received the following awards:


BirdSO Mini Science Olympiad Competition:

5th place:
Codebusters: Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25), Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)

8th place:
Write it CAD it: Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24) and Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
Fermi Questions: Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

9th place:
Detector Building: Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

Other Competitors:
Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24), Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22), Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23), Caleb Empig (IM, ‘23), Shayna Kaplan (IM, ‘23), Grant Li (CW, ‘23), Amy Lee (IM, ‘23), Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23), Kei Shimabukuro (IM, ‘24), Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23), Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24), and Audrey Zhang (IM,‘24)

National Invitational Science Olympiad Satellite Competition:

3rd place:
Write it CAD It: Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24) and Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)

4th place:
Cybersecurity: Grant Li (CW, ‘23) and Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23)

6th place:
Botany: Shayna Kaplan (IM, ‘23) and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

8th place:
It’s About Time: Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23) and Nathan Tatsuta (IM, ‘24)

11th place:
Ornithology: Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22) and Vivian Chen (IM, ‘23)

12th place:
Bioinformatics: Em Wei-Ten (PM, ‘23) and Jeffrey Yang (CV, ‘24)

13th place:
Digital Structures: Sameer Bajaj (ACT, ‘24) and Kei Shimabukuro (IM, ‘24)
Codebusters: Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25), Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22), and Joshua Qin (BR, ‘23)

18th place:
Anatomy and Physiology: Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23) and Audrey Zhang (IM, ‘24)
Astronomy: Grant Conroy (CV, ‘25) and Katherine Given (ACT, ‘24)
Disease Detectives: Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) and Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24)

21st place:
Green Generation: Sylvia Cheeseman (DM, ‘22) and Jiin Yun (IM, ‘24)

Other Competitors:
Kacy Chung (VA, ‘23), Caleb Empig (IMP, ‘23), and Amy Lee (IM, ‘23)

Melody Chang (IM, ‘22) was featured in an article by the Orange County Register naming Orange County’s 125 top influencers for 2021. She was recognized for her impact in the community in regards to public health education. As a part of her Dragon Kim Foundation project, Melody conducted multiple workshops to teach public health using a book she wrote and published. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Atyn9g

The following students were accepted into the California Band Directors Association (CBDA) All-State Band for 2021:

Sejin Byun (IM, ‘27) - Bb Clarinet
Hannah Cho (IM, ‘25) - Oboe
Sumin Cho (IM, ‘25) - Viola
Irene Choung (IM, ‘24) - Cello
Armaan Diwan (IM, ‘27) - Tenor Saxophone
Auvin Hajian (IM, ‘22) - Trombone
Kylie Heidal (IM, ‘23) - Bass Trombone
Miri Izenberg (IM, ‘26) - Trumpet
Chelsea Jiang (IM, ‘27) - Piccolo
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) - Cello
David Jou (IM, ‘23) - Violin II
Ariana Kim (IM, ‘25) - Bassoon
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) - Flute
Heejae Kim (IM, ‘27) - Violin I
Jaden Kim (IM, ‘25) - Violin I
Lauren Kim (IM, ‘23) - Violin II
Tane Kim (IM, ‘24) - Cello
Ryan Klotz (IM, ‘22) - Tuba
Amy Lee (IM, ‘23) - Violin II
Jaynie Lee (IM, ‘27) - Violin II
Allison Molin (IM, ‘25) - Trumpet
Darren Qiu (IM, ‘24) - Alto & Soprano Sax
Owen Ramos (IM, ‘27) - Trombone
Elliot Shiwota (IM, ‘22) - Percussion
Kenny Song (IM, ‘27) - Bb Clarinet
Leo Sui (IM, ‘23) - Trombone
Audrey Yoon (IM, ‘26) - Violin I
Jiin Yun (CW, ‘24) - Cello

Sarah Parigela (IM, ‘23) and Samuel Parigela (IM, ‘25) performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City as a part of an international concerto competition winners' recital. Sarah performed "Scherzo Tarantella" by Henryk Wieniawski, with Samuel accompanying her on piano.

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

Orange County School of the Arts was featured in an article by KTLA about our recent Niche ranking as the #1 Best Charter High School in California for the third year in a row, as well as the #6 Best Charter High School in America for 2022. To read the full article, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Iy3N1k

The following FTV alumni received awards at this year’s All American High School Film Festival in New York City in October:

WINNERS
Best Drama:
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) - "Pho"

Best Cinematography:
Antone Axten (MT, ‘21) - "Pho"

Female Rising Star Award:
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20)

Best Music Video:
Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21) - "Run Away"

NOMINEES
Best Overall:
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) - "Pho"
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) - "Tess & Dodi"
Nolan Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) - "The Other"

Best Directing:
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) - "Pho"
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) - "Tess & Dodi"
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21) - "The Omega"

Best Drama:
Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) - "Dreams of Ambivalence"
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21) - "The Omega"

Best Cinematography:
Antone Axten (FTV, ‘21) - "By Your Side"
Nolan Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) - "The Other"

Best Screenplay:
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) - "Tess & Dodi"
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21) - "The Omega"

Female Rising Star Award:
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21)

Best Score:
Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) - "Dreams of Ambivalence"
Ellie Weber (FTV, ‘21) - "The Omega"

Best Comedy:
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) - "Tess & Dodi"

Best Music Video:
Nolan Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) - "Know Better"

Jacki Vellandi (ACT, ‘22) co-produced and released ten of her original songs, which feature piano, guitar, and ukulele, under the name JackiLove.

The following students were recognized as 2022 YoungArts Winners by the National YoungArts Foundation for their artistic achievements. All YoungArts award winners at all levels receive cash prizes between $100 and $10,000. All YoungArts Finalists were also invited to participate in National YoungArts Week+, which features virtual classes and performances, workshops, mentorship opportunities, and an exhibition for the public.

Finalists:
Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) – Dance (Modern/Contemporary)
Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) – Film
Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22) – Film
Chaewon Kim (CW, ‘23) – Design Arts
Lauren Mei (ACT, ‘23) – Theater
Kailyn Yi (CMD, ‘22) – Dance (Modern/Contemporary)

Honorable Mentions:
Andy Choi (CW, ‘22) – Writing (Play or Script)
Johann Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) – Film
Amy Jong (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Violoncello)
Wyatt Layton (CW, ‘23) – Writing (Creative Nonfiction)

Merit:
Heather Kim (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Flute)
Ava Kuntz (CV, ‘21) – Voice (Classical)
Mia Lopez (BF, ‘23) – Dance (World Dance Forms: Mexican Folkloric)
London San Luis (DM, ‘23) – Visual Arts
Caitlyn Mason (CW, ‘23) – Writing (Creative Nonfiction)
Aidan Meixner (MT, ‘22) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)
Ava Ulloa (PM, ‘22) – Voice (Popular: Pop)
Jocelyn Wang (PM, ‘23) – Voice (Singer-Songwriter)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22) – Classical Music (Violin)
Helaine Zhao (IM, ‘24) – Classical Music (Piano)

In addition, Emmy Cheung (CMD, ‘22) and Youning Jiang (FTV, ‘22) attended National YoungArts Week+ as 2022 YoungArts Winners and were nominated to be named 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts in Dance (Modern/Contemporary) and Film respectively. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will ultimately choose 20 of the 60 nominees to be recognized for their academic and artistic accomplishments, leadership, community outreach, and overall creativity.

Gavin Lacanlale (IM, ‘23) appeared on Spectrum News for a performance of Pamana Kultura, a show in celebration of Filipino American History Month. He played kulintang, indigenous music of the southern Philippines, for the Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble. To view the full episode, please visit: https://bit.ly/348aF6F

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

Roman Xavier Elson (MT, ‘26) was featured in a YouTube video by entrepreneur and filmmaker Dhar Mann, entitled "Big Brother Hates His Little Bro."

Dylan Panetta (IA, ‘25) and Ava Grace Recana (MT, ‘26) were cast in and performed the main roles of Miss Honey and Matilda respectively in Arts & Learning Conservatory’s production of "Matilda the Musical."

Cole Schulein (CAH, ‘25) cooked a full meal for 35 women at WISEPlace, a domestic violence shelter, for his Mitzvah project.

Kotone Matsuzaki (BCD, ‘26) won third place in the Junior Classical Dance category at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) San Diego regional competition.

Viveka Saravanan (CV, ‘24) received first place in the Solo Voice category in the Mount Saint Mary's University Music Competition. Viveka also won first place in the SoCalPhil Young Artists competition in the Artist Voice category.

Matthew Garbacz’s (MT, ‘23) band, The Kings of Queen Tribute, booked a week-long tour in Nashville.

Pedro Fregoso (IM, ‘27) was invited to perform at the state capitol for the State of California’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.

J.J. Barton (PM, ‘26) was cast in a production of the musical "Love Actually Live" at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts as a member of the ensemble and understudy for the role of Sam.

Ryan Jachetta (FTV, ‘19) released his first album, titled "meudon drive," under the name 2 The Sun.

The following students were selected as regional semi-finalists in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program in recognition of their leadership, service, and academics, as well as their efforts to positively affect others in their community. Winners will be selected to receive a $20,000 college scholarship and to join a network of more than 6,000 Coca-Cola Scholar alumni that encourage, challenge, and support each other in their common goal of making the world a better place.

Melody Chang (IM, ‘22)
Abril Rodriguez Diaz (CW, ‘22)
Anjal Jain (CV, ‘22)
Sein Yun (IM, ‘22)
Hannah Zhao (IM, ‘22)
Eric Zhu (FTV, ‘22)

Isaac Sohn (IM, ‘25) received first place at the American Protégé International Competition of Romantic Music.

Sophia Vernon (MT, ‘26) was cast in Phantom Projects Theatre Group's production of "Teens on Tour: The Center of the Universe" at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Sterling Tran (IM, ‘27) won first place awards at the II International Chopin Piano Competition in Austria, the Rocky Mountain Music Competition, the Carmel Klavier Latin America Competition, and the 8th International Piano Competition Smederevo, where he won the special award for Promising Young Artist. Sterling also received third place at the 9th International Piano Competition "Frederic Chopin" in Romania, second place in the solo category from the Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition for Young Artists, and a scholarship award to the Costa Rica Piano Festival.

In addition to these awards, Sterling also performed at the Winner Gala Concert for the 2021 Conero International Piano Competition, and was also appointed the first alternate for the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) Piano Concerto Solo Competition.

Elinor (Ellie) Weber (FTV, ‘21) and her short film, "The Omega," were nominated for five awards at the 2021 All American High School Film Festival in New York. The film was nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Drama, and Best Direction. Ellie was nominated for Female Rising Star.

The following Film & Television Conservatory students and alumni were selected to screen their films at this year’s All-American High School Film Festival in New York City.

Ethan Chu (FTV, ‘21) – “By Your Side”, “Pho”
Ren Collantes (FTV, ‘21) – “Dreams of Ambivalence”
Maggie Ding (FTV, ‘22) – “Magdalena”
Noah Frech (FTV, ‘21) – “Run Away”
Ava Gaskins (FTV, ‘22) – “Ours to Yours”, “The Corpse in the Mirror”
Kenneth Ha (FTV, ‘25) – “A Quiet Game”
Nona Nishigawara (FTV, ‘22) – “Dobu”
Allee Stone (FTV, ‘20) – “Tess and Dodi”
Nolan Hieu Trifunovic (FTV, ‘21) – “The Other”, “Know Better”
Elinor Weber (FTV, ‘21) – “The Omega”

Logan Langevin (ACT, ‘23) was cast in Nickelodeon’s hit sitcom "Side Hustle."

U.S. News & World Report released its 2021 national rankings for Best Elementary and Middle Schools, and Orange County School of the Arts was named the No. 3 Best Charter Middle School in the State of California. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/3rnvyEv

Mikayla Fleming (BCD, ‘24) joined the Jazz Spectrum Dance Company’s second company, Spectrum 2, and was selected to perform in the Continuing the Legacy dance concert.

Aryan Simhadri (ACT, ‘24) received a Young Artist Award for Best Teen Actor in a Streaming Film for his role in "The Main Event."

The following alumni were selected to perform in the return of Disney’s ¡Viva Navidad! at Disney California Adventure Park. This heartfelt street party celebrates both Mexican and Brazilian cultures through the characters of the famed movie "The Three Caballeros."

Jackie Alvarez (IM, ‘18)
Vivian Alvarez (BF, ‘19)
Dominique Breckenridge (BF, ‘16)
Iris Distancia (BF, ‘16)
Matthew De Leon (BF, ‘17)
Alyssa Gomez (BF, ‘17)
Michael Gomez (BF, ‘14)
Melina Marin (MT, ‘18)
Adrian Martinez (BF, ‘20)
Brianna Marquez BF, ‘18)
Madeline Peña (BF, ‘14)
Jose Rea (BF, ‘18)
Rodrigo Rea (BF, ‘21)
Jose Rivera (BF, ‘18)

Nina Herzog (MT, ‘09) was selected to star in "My (Unauthorized) Hallmark Movie Musical" at the Broadwater Theater in Los Angeles.

Teren Shaffer, President and CEO of Orange County School of the Arts, was voted to serve as 1st Vice President of Arts School Network (ASN) for a two-year term. As the 1st Vice President, he will support the annual conference and assist in the program management of various ASN objectives.

Ceci Balagot (MT, ‘19) was cast as Frankie Stein in the upcoming live-action musical movie "Monster High" which will air on Nickelodeon in 2022.

Kelsey Bray (MT, ‘17) was cast in South Coast Repertory’s annual production of "A Christmas Carol."