Burbank students are Music Center contest semifinalists
Lena Harris performs as the Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker,” put on by the Red Chair Children’s Production Company, at the Alex Theatre in Glendale on Friday, Dec. 11, 2015. Harris, a student at Burbank High, is one of six students from Burbank to be named a semifinalist in the Music Center’s 28th annual Spotlight competition.
Six students from Burbank are among 111 semifinalists in the Music Center’s 28th annual Spotlight competition, a scholarship and arts-training program for teens.
Semifinalists will attend master classes with highly regarded artists, who will share their expertise about performance technique and training. Also, students will be given feedback on their performances.
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Each semifinalist will audition again before a new panel of judges, who will then select the top two finalists in each category — acting, ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, non-classical voice, classical instrumental and jazz instrumental — for a total of 14 finalists.
Finalists will perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall at the Music Center on June 11.
Judges will also name an honorable mention in each category.
The Spotlight program awards more than $100,000 in cash scholarships annually. Finalists in each category will receive $5,000 scholarships, with honorable mentions given $1,000. Semifinalists each receive $300.
The Music Center will also honor five students in each category with a Promise Award, which acknowledges students who inspire the judges with their commitment and dedication to their art form. Each Promise Award recipient will receive $100.
The local students who qualified are:
Kole Hoffman, student at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, in the acting category.
Melody Hollis, a student at Options for Youth Charter Schools, in the acting and non-classical voice categories.
Joshua Strobl, a student at John Burroughs High School, in the acting and non-classical voice categories.
Nicholas Apostolina, a student at John Burroughs High School, in the acting category.
Lena Harris, a student at Burbank High School, in the ballet category.
Brighton Thomas, a student a John Burroughs High School, in the non-classical voice category.
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Mark Kellam, mark.kellam@latimes.com
Twitter: @LAMarkKellam
