2018 Rising Star Finalists Compete for Cash Prize at Celebration of the Arts in Howard County

The Howard County Arts Council is pleased to announce the 21st Annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County on Saturday, March 24, 2018 at the Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, Howard Community College (HCC), Columbia, MD. Buddy and Sue Emerson, active supporters of community and charitable organizations in Howard County and statewide, will act as Honorary Chairs for the evening. Myron "Mo" Dutterer, recipient of the 2003 Howie Award for Outstanding Arts Educator and a pillar of the Howard County theatre community, will serve as Event Emcee.

The Celebration is a multi-faceted signature event, showcasing and promoting the arts and raising funds in support of the arts, artists, and arts organizations in Howard County. One of the highlights of the Celebration each year is the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition, in which ten finalists compete for a cash prize of $5,000. In November, individual performing artists and small ensembles - aged 18 to 35 years and currently or recently living, working, performing regularly, or receiving training in Howard County - auditioned before a panel of professionals in their discipline. Review criteria included artistic merit, demonstrated experience in the arts, and commitment to a career in the arts.

The Rising Star finalists will perform at the Celebration before an audience of artists, arts patrons, business and political representatives, and community members who will select the winner by popular vote. The award will be presented on stage that evening!

The Rising Stars performing at the 2018 Celebration are Keely Bosworth Borland, Musical Theatre; Tyler Fitzpatrick, Jazz Guitar; Lindsey Landry, Musical Theatre; Benjamin Lurye, Musical Theatre; Elizabeth Milligan, Flute; Brian Nabors, Musical Theatre; Arelle Oberlander, Classical Voice; Pacing Bodies (Ryan Bailey & Maia Schechter), Dance; Junghoon Park, Piano; and Alexandra Rodrick, Classical Voice.

Keely Bosworth Borland, Classical Voice

Praised for her 'magnificent, expressive soprano sound' (ShowBizRadio), Keely Bosworth Borland is quickly establishing herself as a dynamic lyric coloratura soprano. Recent operatic performances include Rapunzel in Into the Woods and Bella Giretti in Paganini. A Pittsburgh native, she earned a Master of Music in Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and Bachelor's degrees in Vocal Performance and Art History from Lawrence University/Conservatory of Music. Keely teaches piano and voice in Howard County.

Tyler Fitzpatrick, Jazz Guitar

Tyler Fitzpatrick began his musical career under the leadership of Nick Ellis in the Marriotts Ridge High School Music Department, where he experienced exponential growth as an artist. Now studying jazz guitar at UMBC as a Presidential scholar, Tyler continues to push himself further every day as he chases his dream of becoming a Broadway musician and jazz performer.

Lindsey Landry, Musical Theatre

Lindsey Landry began performing at the age of 18 and hasn't looked back! She holds a Bachelor's Degree with a focus in Theatre and additional coursework in Musical Theatre Performance and has worked extensively with theatres throughout the Howard County area, particularly Silhouette Stages. Lindsey hopes to eventually perform with a touring company.

Benjamin Lurye, Musical Theatre

Washington, DC-based actor, singer, and musician Benjamin Lurye is proud to have performed locally at both Rep Stage and Toby's Dinner Theatre, as well as Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre, Ford's Theatre, ATMTC, and with the contemporary opera company UrbanArias, among others. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Maryland in vocal performance and is a proud member of Actor's Equity. Benjamin currently teaches at Imagination Stage and ATMTC.

Elizabeth Milligan, Flute

A versatile flutist and piccolo player, Elizabeth Milligan is a freelance musician and teacher in the Baltimore/D.C. metro area. Her research has explored and documented the progression of flute techniques and performance standards from late 19th century to present day. A graduate of The Peabody Institute and UMBC, Elizabeth has earned a Bachelor of Arts, a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Contemporary American Music, and a Master of Music.

Brian Nabors, Musical Theatre

Brian Nabors has been performing in musicals his entire life. Growing up in Columbia, he has had ample opportunity to pursue his goals in theatre. He has worked alongside Toby Orenstein, Ross Rawlings, Kevin McAllister, and countless other incredible theatre artists from the area. Brian is currently a senior Musical Theatre major at James Madison University with aspirations to share his passion and his craft all over the world.

Arelle Oberlander, Classical Voice

Born and raised in Ellicott City, lyric soprano Arelle Oberlander is honored to be performing again in her hometown. She starred in several musicals at Mt. Hebron High School, and was involved in various school, county, and state choirs and ensembles. Arelle was an Apprentice Artist at the Miami Music Festival in 2017 and in 2016 made her operatic debut as Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni in Greve-in-Chianti, Italy. She plans to pursue an operatic career in Europe.

Pacing Bodies (Ryan Bailey and Maia Schechter), Dance

Ryan Bailey started his dance training at UMBC, where he was named a Linehan Artist Scholar and received the Outstanding Senior award for Choreography and a Summer Dance Research Award Grant. Recently graduated, Ryan continues to train at intensives like Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago. In 2017, he was a featured dancer on the television show So You Think You Can Dance. Ryan founded the dance company Pacing Bodies, which performs throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

Maia Schechter's formal dance training also began at UMBC, where she is now a senior Linehan Artist Scholar pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Dance with a minor in psychology and a Pre-Physical Therapy certi?cate. Professionally, Maia has danced with Baltimore Dance Project, Pacing Bodies Dance Company, and Alternative Dance Project.

Junghoon Park, Piano

Howard County native Junghoon Park is a graduate of UMBC. He has participated in prestigious music festivals and competitions such as the National Music Festival, Wonderlic Competition, Liszt-Garrison Competition, and International Keyboard Institute Festival. Junghoon received a Special Honors award at the 2016 Paderewski Competition in Hartford, CT.

Alexandra Rodrick, Classical Voice

Hailed for her 'impressive performance' and 'flawless vocalism,' mezzo-soprano Alexandra Rodrick is distinguishing herself as an up-and-coming artist of great promise. Alexandra has appeared as Flora in La Traviata with Wolf Trap Opera Company and the National Symphony Orchestra, Tisbe in La Cenerentola with Opera Delaware, and Roggiero in Tancredi with Baltimore Concert Opera. She has also performed internationally in such varied locales as Japan and Mexico.

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