CAA Announces 2010 Overture Award Winners

The Cincinnati Arts Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 2010 Overture Awards Scholarship Competition, held on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater. The competition annually awards $2,500 scholarships to six area students for post-secondary education, with 18 runners-up each winning $500 scholarships. Students are nominated by their schools to compete in one of six disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art or Vocal Music. The scholarship program is the largest of its kind in the U.S. and was developed to recognize, encourage and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final and Final.

2010 OVERTURE AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

 

CREATIVE WRITING: Sarah Gregory - Notre Dame Academy, grade 12, poetry

HOMETOWN: Union, KY - Sarah began her writing career in third grade with the hard-hitting exposé, "Counting Cows." Eleven years later, her parents are seriously considering therapy in order to break her addiction to the written word. She believes her lack of previous awards is because she is a True Artist and therefore Deeply Misunderstood.

DANCE: Taylor Abner - Notre Dame Academy, grade 11, tap
HOMETOWN: Villa Hills, KY - Taylor has studied all forms of dance since the age of three, but it did not take her long to discover that tap is her passion. For the past seven years she has competed with a tap solo and has won numerous awards. She plans to continue dance throughout college. Her inspiration comes from her teachers, Kaelyn Gray, Cara Gleeson and Emily Hinshaw. She would especially like to thank Kaelyn Gray for choreographing her solos and her family and friends for supporting her.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC: Jenny Lee - CCM Preparatory, grade 10, violin
HOMETOWN: Bloomington, IN - Jenny started her violin studies at the age of four. She joined the Starling Project at CCM Prep in 2004 and is studying with Dr. Won Bin Yim. Jenny has won several competitions in South Korea and has been on the radio show From the Top.

THEATER: Christopher Markesbery - St. Xavier HS, grade 12, drama
HOMETOWN: Villa Hills, KY - Christopher has been a part of the theater program at St. Xavier High School for the past four years. He would like to thank Michele Mascari and Gina Cerimele-Mechley for all of their support and for all of the incredible things they have taught him.

VISUAL ART: Katrina Slavik - Mariemont HS, grade 12
HOMETOWN: Mariemont, OH - Katrina has been drawing for her entire life, over the course of which she has developed an illustrative style. She is inspired by Dr. Seuss' and Grant Wood's whimsical landscapes. Besides creating art, she enjoys hanging out with friends, reading, and playing the clarinet and violin. She would like to attend the Rhode Island School of Design next year.

VOCAL MUSIC: Brian Moore - Anderson HS, grade 11
HOMETOWN: Anderson, OH - Brian sings in the chorus at Anderson High School under the direction of Richard Wesp. He also studies voice with Karl Resnik and is in the Young Artists' Preparatory Program directed by Lincoln Chapman at the Musical Arts Center. He plans on majoring in vocal performance in college.

The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held in January at Northern Kentucky University, The University of Cincinnati's Raymond Walters College, Saint Ursula Academy, Lakeside Christian Church, and Xavier University. The top 20 percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, held at the Aronoff Center the weekend following the Regional Competitions. Twenty-four finalists (four in each discipline) competed in the Finals Competition at the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater on Saturday, February 27.

The Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce program) launched The Overture Awards in 1996. The program is administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which manages and operates the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall. The Overture Awards also relies on hundreds of community volunteers who help raise funds, adjudicate, staff the competitions, and nurture the program.

 

Overture Awards Program Sponsors: The Eleanora C.U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee; Duke Energy.

Overture Awards Scholarship Sponsors: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation; Citi; Crosset Family Fund; Ohio National Life; William O. Purdy, Jr. Foundation; Summerfair Cincinnati; Western & Southern Financial Fund.

Overture Awards Competition Sponsors: Buddy Roger's Music; Lakeside Christian Church; Miller-Valentine Group; Northern Kentucky University; St. Ursula Academy; SiteRightNow.com; The University of Cincinnati - Raymond Walters College; Xavier University.

 

THE 2010 OVERTURE AWARDS FINALISTS

Winners listed in bold.

CREATIVE WRITING
Justine Cefalu - Seven Hills School, grade 11, fiction

Lilly Fleischmann - Cincinnati Country Day School, grade 11, poetry

Sarah Gregory - Notre Dame Academy, grade 12, poetry

Natania Hoffman - Clark Montessori, grade 12, creative non-fiction

DANCE
Taylor Abner - Notre Dame Academy, grade 11, tap
Miranda Culley - Madeira HS, grade 12, Irish
Christina Vergara - Northern Cincinnati Youth Ballet, grade 9, modern
Maggie Westerfield - St. Ursula Academy, grade 9, modern

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Mackenzie Brauns - Lakota West HS, grade 12, bassoon
Jeffery Huang - Leung Piano Studio, grade 9, piano
Jacqueline Kitzmiller - Walnut Hills HS, grade 11, violin
Jenny Lee - CCM Preparatory, grade 10, violin

THEATER
Alyssa Magarian - Cincinnati Country Day School, grade 12, musical theater
Christopher Markesbery - St. Xavier HS, grade 12, drama
Samuel Ray - Anderson HS, grade 12, musical theater
Nathan Robbins - Loveland HS, grade 11, musical theater

VISUAL ART
Madeline Becker - Walnut Hills HS, grade 11
Caitlin Cook - Lakota West HS, grade 12
Katrina Slavik - Mariemont HS, grade 12
Lyndsey Vu - Lakota West HS, grade 12

VOCAL MUSIC
Nelson Gaker - Randall Wolff Studio, grade 12
Kelly Hamm - Hamm Academy, grade 12
Brian Moore - Anderson HS, grade 11
Sarah Pellington - Milford HS, grade 11

 

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