Music Center Announces Spotlight Awards Performing Arts Semifinalists
For Immediate Release: January 12, 2010
91 Talented High School Students From Throughout Southern California Advance to Next Round in Prestigious Arts Program
LOS ANGELES - The Music Center of Los Angeles County announced the 91 talented high school students chosen as performing arts semifinalists for the 22nd annual Music Center Spotlight Awards. These young artists were selected from among 1,178 Southern California students who auditioned in the six categories: ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, nonclassical voice, classical instrumental, and jazz instrumental music.
The preliminary round of auditions for the Music Center Spotlight Awards took place from October through December. High school students from public and private schools from across Southern California performed before panels of expert judges. Each student receives detailed evaluations on their auditions, intended to help them improve their performing and auditioning technique. After the auditions concluded in each category, the judges selected the top 15 students to advance to the semifinals.
The 91 semifinalists receive a unique opportunity to attend special master classes with highly regarded professional artists who offer in-depth insight on performance technique, training, and professional life. Each semifinalist will audition again before a new panel of judges, who will then select the top two performers to advance to the finals.
The Music Center will announce the 12 performing arts finalists in March. Each young artist will be paired with a mentor/host from the Music Center's Fraternity of Friends, a volunteer membership organization comprised of prominent Los Angeles businessmen and entertainment industry professionals who support the Music Center. The mentors provide guidance and support to the students and their families in preparation for the final competition, which will be held at the Ahmanson Theatre on Saturday, April 24, 2010.
The Music Center Spotlight Awards program is one of the nation's most acclaimed performing and visual arts education programs for teens, offering training in the arts and awarding over $100,000 in scholarships annually to finalists, semifinalists, and participants who received honorable mentions.
The program has launched numerous professional careers-fifteen finalists are Presidential Scholars and many have joined or performed with professional companies including the Metropolitan Opera, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. Many alumni return to the program and participate as judges and master class instructors.
Fredric M. Roberts is founding chairman of the Music Center Spotlight Awards and Walter Grauman is creator/executive producer.
Special thanks to Bank of America and Helen and Peter Bing for their generous support of the Music Center Spotlight Awards.
For more information about the Music Center Spotlight Awards program, call 213-972-3300.
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