Grand Prize Finalists

Dance Grand Prize Finalist

Aubrey Abella, 15, is a freshman at Great Oak High School and has been dancing since she was 2 years old.  She trains at Temecula Dance Company with Jimmy Peters, Hannah Gallagher, Leah Silva, Davin Lawson, Michelle Kelly, Kayla Girard, Annelise Ritacca and Talia Dunlap. Awards include: Petite Miss Star Systems (2017); Radix Choice Artist Award (2018) and Core Performer, Finalist (2019); KAR Miss Teen Dance, Runner Up (2021); The Countdown Competition, Title (2022) and 1st Overall Teen Soloist (2023); Miss Teen Energy Dance (2022); and Hip-Hop International, gold medals (2021 & 2022). Aubrey is represented by MSA Agency and is a Weissman model. She thanks her parents and grandma for their love and support, and her teacher, Jimmy Peters, for his guidance. This is Aubrey’s first year participating in Spotlight. 

Non-Classical Voice Grand Prize Finalist

Brooke Bailey, 18, is a senior at John Burroughs High School where she sings in the national award-winning choir Powerhouse, directed by Brendan Jennings.  She is also president of the Neo Chromatics acapella group.  Brooke studies voice with Joyce Warman. Roles include: Witch in Into the Woods and Joanne in RENT. Awards include:  Best Soloist at Burbank Blast, Hart Encore and Eastern Show Choir competitions (2023); and a Jimmy Award nomination for Into the Woods (2022). Brooke is excited to announce her next music venture, Honey.  This vocal trio will debut their original R&B and Neo Soul sound later this year. She would like to thank her parents, teachers, and mentors Brendan Jennings, Jennifer Oundjian and Tony Redman, for their support and encouragement.  This is Brooke’s first year participating in Spotlight.

Non-Classical Voice Grand Prize Finalist

Maya Clayton, 17, is a senior at CHAMPS Charter High School of the Arts. She studies voice with Steve Kronauer and acting with Renato Biribin. Her recent roles and performances include: Baker’s Wife in Into The Woods, Touchstone in As You Like It, Medda Larkin in Newsies, Schwartzy in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Fantine in Les Miserables, and America’s Got Talent background singer. Maya enjoys writing and recording her own songs and working with her dad to produce them. Awards include: YoungArts Honorable Mention in Voice/Popular (2022). She wants to thank her Dad, Mom, brother, Steve, Mr. Biribin, and her best friends for their love and support. She plans to study Performing Arts and African Studies in college. This is Maya’s first year participating in Spotlight.

Classical Voice Grand Prize Finalist

Tiffany Hsu, 15, is a sophomore in Mayfield Senior High School. She has been singing since she was eight years old. Tiffany studies classical voice with Mariné Ter-Kazaryan at Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Performances include TV shows in China: Singing Kids CCTV4, CCTV3, Wonderful6+1 (2017-18); and American Protégé Competition at Carnegie Hall (2020). Awards include: American Protégé Competition platinum awards for classical voice, musical theater, and folk singing (2020); World Championships of Performing Arts, gold award (2021), Spotlight semifinalist in Classical Voice (2022). She thanks her teacher Mariné Ter-Kazaryan for being such a great role model and her Chinese opera teacher, Ding Hong, for being her first vocal inspiration. Tiffany is grateful to her family for supporting her passions and many interests. This is Tiffany’s second year participating in Spotlight.

Acting Grand Prize Finalist

Millie Liao, 18, is a senior at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) in the Theater Department. She has been acting for over 10 years, starting with small community productions in her hometown of Novi, Michigan. Roles include: Emily in Our Town, Edna in Waiting for Lefty, and Desdemona in Othello. Awards include: Asian Pacific American Friends of the Theatre Youth Actor Scholarship (2021). Millie is pursuing a professional film and television career, recently starring in Brat TV’s online web series Charmers. She would like to thank her family and her mentors Elizabeth Dennehy, Kevin Kane, and Israel Lopez for their support. Millie plans to double major in theatre and global affairs at Yale next year. This is Millie’s third year participating in Spotlight. 

Millie's performance video of the monologue from Gloria by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins is unavailable due to copyright restrictions.

Ballet Grand Prize Finalist

Campbelle Malicse, 16, is a junior at Palos Verdes Distance Learning Academy. She began dancing at three years old at the School of Dance and Music and now studies ballet at Peninsula School of Performing Arts with Vera Ninkovic and Tita Boulger. Campbelle also trains with Katya Viola and Alla Khaniashvili. Awards include: Youth American Grand Prix, top 12 (2020-2022) and top 3 (2023); California Dance Classics medal placements (2022 & 2023); and YoungArts Finalist in Ballet (2023). Summer Intensives include:  the Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Her primary goal is to dance professionally. Campbelle would like to thank her past teachers for nurturing her love for dance and her current teachers for their direction and guidance. This is Campbelle’s second year participating in Spotlight.

Classical Voice Grand Prize Finalist

Lilliana Mindel, 16, is a junior at The Orange County School of the Arts in the Classical Voice Conservatory. She studies voice with Kathleen Martin and also works with Vera Calabria and Bill Vendice. Awards include: Opera Buffs Young Artist Competition, 4th Place (2023); Schmidt Vocal Competition, 3rd Place (2023); Music International Gran Prix, LA District, 2nd Place (2023); and National Association of Teachers of Singing  (NATS) Cal-Western, 3rd place (2023). She performed a Youth Principal role in LA Opera’s Las Tres Mujeres de Jerusalem (2022) and is an ambassador of the LA Opera Connects. Lilliana would like to thank her parents, Kathleen Martin and her team, and her dog Daisy for all of their love and support throughout her musical journey. This is Lilliana’s first year participating in Spotlight.

Acting Grand Prize Finalist

Ruby Moncrieff-Karten, 17, is a junior at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), where she performs with The Opera Company and the Musical Theater Ensemble.  Roles include: Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel, and Queenie in The Wild Party.  Film work includes: The Keeping Hours opposite Carrie Coon.  Awards include:  National Youth Arts (NYA) Best Actress for Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (2020) and Spotlight Non-Classical Voice Semifinalist (2022 & 2023).  Ruby enjoys assembling a killer cheese board, re-watching Fleabag, and conversing with her cats.  She thanks her parents, grandmothers, friends, and teachers (Erica Robson, Alison Andreas, Suzanna Guzmán, Chris Hunter, and Chanel Castaneda) for their guidance and support.  This is Ruby’s third year participating in Spotlight.

Ruby's performance video of the monologue from Everything is Wonderful by Chelsea Marcantel is unavailable due to copyright restrictions.

Dance Grand Prize Finalist

Calli Perryman, 15, is a sophomore at Murrieta Valley High School, where she is on the Varsity Dance Team. She trains at Murrieta Dance Project and Academy of Ballet Arts. Calli has been training in dance for twelve years. Her dance mentor is Justin Pham, a talented choreographer, and Spotlight Alum. Awards include: Spotlight Semifinalist in Dance (2022) and a Radix and Nuvo National Dance Convention Teen Core Performer (2021). Calli loves the emotion of dance and is inspired to make people understand the story behind the choreography. Outside of dance, she loves animals and visiting new places. Calli would love to dance professionally in a contemporary company. She would like to thank her family, teachers and friends for their support. This is Calli’s second year participating in Spotlight.

Jazz Instrumental Grand Prize Finalist

Jackson Petty, 15, is a sophomore in the Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA) at Hamilton High School, under Director Philip Topping, where he plays guitar in the A Combo and A Band. He studies with Kevin Kanner, Lee Secard, and is mentored by piano player Lou Foresteri. Coming from a family of professional musicians, Jackson plays piano, cello, guitar, composes and arranges, but began focusing on jazz guitar in 7th grade at Walter Reed Middle School. He has played with the All City Jazz Band at the Hollywood Bowl and attended Jazz in the Pines at Idyllwild Arts, receiving an Outstanding Performance Scholarship (2022 & 2023). His two main influences are Wes Montgomery and his father, Dan Petty.  This is Jackson’s first year participating in Spotlight.

Ballet Grand Prize Finalist

Chase Rogers, 18, is a senior at California Preparatory Academy and has been dancing since he was 9 years old. Chase trains at the San Francisco Ballet School, under the direction of Patrick Armand, with Pascal Molat. Awards include: Spotlight Honorable Mention (2021) and YoungArts Finalist (2022). He has also trained with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), Ballet West, and Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy. Chase thanks his parents for their constant support helping him navigate through life. He also thanks his teachers Amanda Cobb and Julie Binowtiz for their guidance. Chase has performed in leading children’s roles with ABT productions and student roles in San Francisco Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Cinderella.   Chase plans to dance professionally next year with Tulsa Ballet II. This is Chase’s second year participating in Spotlight.

Jazz Instrumental Grand Prize Finalist

William Schwartzman, 18, is a senior at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts where he plays in the Big Band and Blue Note Combo under Alex Hahn. He has studied jazz piano with Taylor Eigsti, Tyler Henderson, Daniel Rotem and the late Mike Lang. He is a member of the Colburn School’s Thursday Night Band under Lee Secard. William played at the 2022 Monterey and Vail jazz festivals and will play at Carnegie Hall and tour Europe with the National Youth Orchestra Jazz this summer.  Awards include:  DownBeat Magazine Jazz Soloist and Composition Student Music Awards (2022-2023); National YoungArts Honorable Mention in Jazz Piano (2022). He thanks his parents, teachers, and friends. William will attend The Juilliard School this fall. This is William’s third year participating in Spotlight.

Classical Instrumental Grand Prize Finalist

Erica Wang, 17, is a senior at Canyon Crest Academy.  She studies flute with Pam Martchev and Linda Chesis. As the principal flutist of the National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO-USA 2022), she has performed at Carnegie Hall and toured Europe under the direction of Daniel Harding. Erica is a Wm. Haynes Co. International Young Artist. Awards include: the National Flute Association High School Soloist Competition’s Deveau Scholarship (2020); Goodlin Scholarship Competition, 1^st place (2022); and San Diego Flute Guild Youth Artist Competition, 1^st place (2019). Erica has participated in the Beyond the Masterclass and the Domaine Forget International Music Festival. She has performed in masterclasses with Emmanuel Pahud, Julien Beaudiment, Jim Walker, Denis Bouriakov, Jennifer Gunn, and Demarre McGill. This is Erica’s second year participating in Spotlight.

Classical Instrumental Grand Prize Finalist

Nathaniel Yue, 16, is a sophomore at San Marino High School. He studies cello with Vardan Gasparyan and Ronald Leonard, chamber music in Colburn School’s Ed and Mari Edelman Honors Chamber program and is the American Youth Symphony’s Anne Warsaw Cello Chair. Performances include: NPR’s From the Top; Meadowmount School of Music Student Recital Series; LA County Museum of Art’s Sunday’s Live; and Colburn Honors Recitals. Awards in 2023 include: Music Teacher’s National Association’s National Finalist and YoungArts Merit Winner.  He is the Back to Bach Project co-regional director, Tuesday Musicale Juniors’ president and enjoys being on his school’s robotics team. Nathaniel thanks his family, teachers and mentors for their support and guidance. Special thanks to Georg Eittinger of Hans Weisshaar Violin Makers. This is Nathaniel’s 2nd year participating in Spotlight.