State of the Art

Arden Hughes (IA, ‘25) was selected to show photographs at the Barnsdall Junior Arts Center Gallery’s Instagram exhibition, “What’s Around You?”

Ahan Kadam (CW, ‘22) won Best Youth Filmmaker at Indie Shorts LA. His short film, “Sunsets,” won Best LGBTQIA+ Film and was a semifinalist for Best Student Film at the Paris Play International Film Festival.

Gwen Gonzalez (MT, ‘21) and Julia Gonzalez (MT, ‘21) wrote and composed an original podcast musical, titled "Celestival." The storyline and musical score is completely original and will serve as their senior gift to the theatre world following their graduation from CSArts-SGV.

Minji Cho (IA, ‘24) won second place in the Interpretation Mixed event for her humorous interpretation speech at the 2021 National Online Forensics High School Tournament.

Citrus College, in recognition of their distinguished partnership with California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley, received the 2021 Arts School Network (ASN) Higher Education Award. This national award honors postsecondary institutions or arts partnership programs in higher education for their continuous support of the sustainability of quality arts education in K-12 schools.

Ella Joel (IA, ‘23) spent two weeks in Belize attending a student environmental conservation service program and earned her scuba certification.

Emily Lee (MT, ‘22) was chosen as a Distinguished Young Woman of East Los Angeles, received a $500 scholarship, and advanced to their state program. Distinguished Young Women is a national scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full, individual potential through a fun, transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments.

The following students performed in Centre Stage's production of "The Addams Family."

Mitchell Archibald (IA, ‘25) as an Ancestor
Sara FitzRandolph (IA, ‘25) as an Ancestor
Nicole Gallivan (MT, ‘23) as an Ancestor
Ava Holguin (MT, ‘22) as Alice Beineke
Hannah Khoury (MT, ‘22) as Wednesday Addams
Haley Nelson (PD, ‘24) as an Ancestor
Samantha Rily (IA, ‘24) as Morticia Addams
Clara Silver (BCD, ‘24) as an Ancestor
Kristina Tovar (IA, ‘25) as an Ancestor
Michael Tovar (PD, ‘23) as Fester Addams
Daniella Valentin (IA, ‘26) as an Ancestor

Brayden Maniago (ACT, ‘21) booked a recurring role on a limited Netflix series.

Sela Murphy (IM, ‘21) earned her Girl Scout Gold Award from Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. Through her dedication, planning, and skills, she has demonstrated her leadership through action and has achieved the capstone in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Autumn Joyner (MT, ‘24) completed Certificate of Merit vocal test level nine through the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC). She earned all “Excellents” in technique and repertoire and was awarded state honors. Autumn also achieved a near perfect score on the written theory portion and was recommended to perform at the convention later in the year.

Jeanie Lai (BCD, ‘22) participated in the Showstoppers Dance Competition and received second place in both Ballet and Pointe solo categories and third place overall in the Senior division (ages 15-19). Jeanie’s pictures were also featured on Showstopper’s Instagram and in the program for the competition.

Jayden Anderson (IA, ‘22) performed a freestyle hip-hop routine for All Saints Church Pasadena’s Inaugural Pentecost Poetry Slam in commemoration of George Floyd and in celebration of Black lives. To view Jayden’s performance, which begins at the 7:07 timestamp, please visit: https://bit.ly/3AQ2dE6

Kirsten Gaila (VA, ‘21) accepted an offer of admission at California Institute of the Arts’ Character Animation Program with a merit-based scholarship of $40,000 for all four years. Kristen also received a $24,000 merit-based scholarship at ArtCenter College of Design and was accepted at California State Summer School of the Arts for animation.

Cassandra Tittle (ACT, ‘24) worked on an episode for season four of "Raven's Home," now available on Disney+.

Ryan Edge (CMD, ‘23), Sivan Gilbert (CMD, ‘23), and Nicole Cheng (IA, ‘24) performed a tap routine at The Music Center on International Tap Dance Day for the Colburn School.

Cielo Valenzuela-Lara (IA, ‘22) was recognized as a 2021 YoungArts Merit Winner for Writing (Spoken Word) by the National YoungArts Foundation. As part of this recognition, two of her poems were published in the 2021 National YoungArts Week Anthology and Catalogue (For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/3AZFMfS). As a member of the professional spoken word poetry troupe the Get Lit Players, Cielo was commissioned to write and perform a poem to launch a social media campaign for a new website aimed at raising awareness about adverse childhood experiences. To view Cielo’s performance, please visit https://bit.ly/3mjmvBP

Olivia Lee (CW, ‘21) received a Silver National Award for her poem, sharkskin heart, from the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Arjun Lakshman (MT, ‘22) was selected to attend the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA).

Bea Odicta-Kohner (ACT, ‘21) received presidential, merit-based scholarship awards for $27,000 each from both Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and Pratt Institute in New York.

Artwork by Brenna Corcoran (VA, ‘21), Rocia Han (VA, ‘26), and Alvin Wang (VA, ‘24) was featured in an article by the Orange County Register, which focuses on how students have expressed themselves artistically during the pandemic.
To view the article, please visit https://bit.ly/3wPAtO0

Madeline Kimmel (MT, ‘22) was recognized as a 2021 YoungArts Merit Winner for Theater by the National YoungArts Foundation. Recipients were invited to participate in one of the most comprehensive programs for artists in the United States, in which they receive opportunities for financial, creative, and professional development support throughout their careers.

Christian Tyler Dorey (MT, ‘21) performed in The Music Center’s 33rd Annual Spotlight Grand Finale, a virtual presentation featuring the 14 Spotlight Finalists and hosted by Josh Groban. Out of a pool of more than 1,500 applicants, Christian advanced to become the Grand Prize Finalist in the Non-Classical Voice category.
To view the virtual performance, please visit https://bit.ly/3uFnRHM, and skip to approximately 1:00:52 to watch Christian’s featured piece!

Samantha Choy (CCD, ‘25) was awarded a full scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive for the second year in a row.

Autumn Joyner (MT, ‘24) completed a level nine Certificate of Merit vocal test under the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC). She earned all Excellents in technique and repertoire and was awarded state honors. Autumn also achieved a near perfect score on the written theory portion and was recommended to perform at the annual MTAC State Convention Recitals later this year.

Gibson Alfieri (CCD, ‘25) was awarded full scholarships to attend both the Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) Summer Intensive for ballet.

The following students were honored by The Music Center’s 33rd Annual Spotlight Program out of more than 1,500 applicants. Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed arts training and scholarship program for teens that awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually.

Christian Dorey (MT, ‘21) was named a Grand Prize Finalist in the Non-Classical Voice category. Christian (pictured bottom right) is one of only 14 Grand Prize Finalists selected to perform in a virtual grand finale event and receive a $5,000 scholarship.

Sam Morelos (MT, ‘23) was recognized as a Merit Award recipient in the Acting category.

To view the grand finale event, please visit https://bit.ly/3uFnRHM

California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley was one of only 33 schools in the state to receive the California Exemplary Arts Education Award from the California Department of Education for 2021. The California Exemplary Arts Education Award celebrates schools that have made a successful effort to engage students in the arts through exposure to a variety of disciplines.

Jimmy Deng (IM, ‘22) was awarded a $1,000 Grand Prize in the Rotary Pageant of the Arts competition. He also won first place in the Glendale Piano Competition Senior Division and was awarded a $750 scholarship. Lastly, Jimmy achieved panel finals honors through the Music Teachers Association of California.

Julia Gonzalez (MT, ‘21) was named a finalist for the National Security Language Initiative for Youth program, which is a fully funded study abroad scholarship awarded by the U.S. Department of State.

Justus Alfaro (IM, ‘24) received an honorable mention at the Southern California Junior Bach Festival (SCJBF) through the Los Angeles County Branch.

Ella Beyer (MT, ‘21) released her original song, "Hellbent High School," through Winding Way Records. The song is available on all music platforms worldwide.

Jimmy Deng (IM, ‘22) participated and received the first prize award in the Open Category of the Pelican International Music Competition.

Alvin Wang (VA, ‘24) participated and received three first prize awards and one second place award in the Open Category of the Pelican International Music Competition.

The following students participated onstage and backstage in Centre Stage's COVID-compliant black box performance of "Little Women: The Broadway Musical."

Tessa Barkley (IA, ‘23) - Meg March
Nicole Gallivan (MT, ‘23) - Aunt March
Ava Holguin (MT, ‘22) - Jo March
Hannah Khoury (MT, ‘22) - Beth March
Samantha Rily (IA, ‘24) - Beth March
Kristina Tovar (IA ‘25) - Spotlight
Michael Tovar (PD, ‘23) - Lighting Board Operator

Instrumental Music Instructor Dr. Walter Simonsen arranged the music and played trumpet on a 2020 Grammy Award-nominated recording, titled “Shenandoah” from Reed Between the Lines by Jake Reed. “Shenandoah” was nominated for Best Arrangement (Instrumental).
To listen, please visit https://bit.ly/3x6AKvW

Instrumental Music Conservatory Director Tyler McGeough and Instructor Harry Ostrander played trombone and trumpet respectively, on a 2020 Latin Grammy Award-nominated album, titled Tradiciones. This album, nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year, is by the Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra, an ensemble that plays traditional Peruvian music arranged in a contemporary jazz style.
To listen, please visit https://spoti.fi/3waiZMj

California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley received an A overall grade and was named the #7 Best High School for the Arts in California by Niche for 2021. Congratulations to the entire CSArts-SGV team!

To view the school’s full profile, please visit https://bit.ly/3v8lnSq

The following students both built and launched a weather balloon in the Mojave Desert as a part of the STEM Out club at CSArts-SGV. Check out their website to learn more https://bit.ly/3cuBvqF

Alyssa Ho (CW, '22)
Lucas Hopstein (PD, '22)
Keona Huang (IA, '22)
Natalie Hultgren (CCD, '22)
Sammie Liu (VA, '22)
Leilani Widjaja (VA, '22)
Melanie Wu (VA, '22)
Kayla Younger (PD, '22)

Alvin Wang (VA, '24) won first place for piano in the Masters of Sonata category at the Great Composers Competition.

Sam Carter (IM, '22) completed two semester-long courses at the Berklee College of Music due to the cancellation of their scheduled summer program.

Olivia Lee’s (CW, '21) poem, “Nymphs,” placed first in the senior poetry category in the National Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) Norm Strung Youth Writing Competition. OWAA is an organization of writers, editors, broadcasters, photographers, filmmakers, and other communicators who are dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience. Olivia was awarded a $500 cash prize, sponsored by Ducks Unlimited, and her poem was selected to be printed in the December 2020/January 2021 issue of Outdoors Unlimited.

Ella Beyer (MT, '21) signed with Winding Way Records. Her first single, an original song titled "Six Feet," will be released worldwide on all music platforms.

Meadow Johnston (VA, '24) was selected for a paid internship at ENTLER Studio in Los Angeles assisting artists with photography and creating custom ceramic lamps, mirrors, and sconces for residential and commercial clients.

Alyssa S. Ho (CW, '22) was one of 27 young scholars from 14 countries selected for the 2020 World Science Scholars (WSS) program, an initiative of the World Science Festival. WSS brings scholars together with world-renowned experts in an interdisciplinary and multi-layered online program that encourages the scholars to explore new scientific areas in which their skills can be applied.

Camille Schurer (IA, '24) won the Bookmark Design Contest for the Pasadena Public Library in category three for ages 13-17. Her design will be printed and distributed to patrons of the library.

Arjun Lakshman (MT, '22) started "The Juicer Podcast," where he interviews current and former CSArts-SGV students from every conservatory about school, their craft, and their lives. The podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Alvin Wang (VA, '24) entered Creative Communication's student poetry contest and had a poem selected to be published in their summer 2020 anthology, A Celebration of Poets. (VA, '24) entered Creative Communication's student poetry contest and had a poem selected to be published in their summer 2020 anthology, A Celebration of Poets.

Olivia Lee’s (CW, '21) poems, “a woman is inert until she burns,” “beneath the floorboards,” “cabin 119,” “for want of oil,” and “scar-gel symphony,” were published in Issue 7 of Heritage Review. In addition, Rising Phoenix Review featured two of her poems, “april mugsauce” and “beneath the floorboards.” Her illustration, “Girl Dreaming,” was also chosen as cover art for Issue 19 of Blue Marble Review.

Arden Hughes (IA, '25) founded and launched her own skin care product line called Arden's Organics.

Ella Beyer (MT, '21) and Leilani Rodriguez (MT, '22) were awarded a 2020 Dragon Kim Fellowship from the Dragon Kim Foundation for their project, “Fostering the Arts," that provides free musical theatre classes to foster youth. They were one of three Dragon Kim Foundation Fellowship projects selected to compete in the virtual Dragon Challenge, where they presented and pitched their ideas to secure an additional $5,000 to continue their project.

Aria Tomar (ACT, '21) was invited to present the opening speech on generational sustainability and how Gen Z is changing the consumerism dynamic at the Global Pulse Confederation's (GPC) virtual Pulses 2.0 event, the largest global event in the pulse industry. GPC is a nonprofit with United Nations observer status that represents the global legumes and beans industry of more than one million farmers from over 50 countries.

Social Science instructor Erick Taggart and alum Gabriel Garciasalas (CW, '19) completed a comic book story for Gladstone's School for World Conquerors. To check out their story, "Martian Jones," please click here.

The National Association of Special Education Teachers named CSArts-SGV an Exceptional Charter School in Special Education.

Alison Hwang (CMD, '19) received first place in her division, ninth place overall, a platinum medal, and a judge’s choice award for her duet at Revolution Talent Competition. She also received second overall and an elite gold medal at Starbound National Talent Competition.

Daniel Crooks (IM, '21) completed his Eagle Scout board of review. For his Eagle project, Daniel coordinated the donation of six custom-made benches for the Instrumental Music building. His project involved planning, fundraising, and leading a team of professional craftsmen and scouts in constructing and installing the benches he designed.

Alvin Wang (VA, '24) was accepted to the Curtis Young Artists Summer Program and was selected for the final recital. His recording was also broadcast on their Facebook page.

Michaela Delaney Guthrie (CMD, '21) was cast and performed in "Hallways: Stories from Juvie," a new multi-media project streaming on YouTube made possible by a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs through the Group Repertory Theatre.

Christian Chae (IM, '21) earned the Eagle Scout Award. For his Eagle project, he led over 40 scouts in refurbishing fences in Longden Field of Arcadia, to benefit Arcadia National Little League. Christian was also accepted into the Ed & Mari Edelman Chamber Music Institute Honors Chamber Group at Colburn Community School of Performing Arts.

The following students were the first to earn their Black Belts through the Taekwondo program at CSArts-SGV:

Danielle Alhuay (IM, '21)
Amarah Argenal (IA, '21)
Madison Barbosa (VA, '21)
Nicolas Bolton (ACT, '22)
Martha Caballero (IM)
Sal Campo (IM, '21)
Amory Gaylord (CW, '21)
David Gonzalez (IM, '20)
Elianne Habata (CW, '21)
Thalia Mason (IM, '21)
Enrique Morales (IM, '20)
Brandon Ortega (ACT, '21)
Dylan Porras (CW, '21)
Alec Reyes (IM, '21)
Naithen Rincon (VA, '20)
Gabe Ruppert (IM, '21)
Leslie Segovia (VA, '20)
Emerson Smith (IM, '21)
Melayna Smith (VA, '21)