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Cue the curtain! The Music Center proudly announces 14 rising stars from across Southern California as the Grand Prize winners in its 37th Annual Spotlight program.
The nationally acclaimed free performing arts competition and scholarship program for high school students. Selected among more than 1,600 applicants, the 14 talented teens triumphed in the annual contest comprised of seven categories: acting, ballet, dance, classical voice, non-classical voice, classical instrumental and contemporary instrumental.
Each Grand Prize winner receives a $5,000 scholarship and the opportunity to shine in front of a live audience at The Music Center’s Spotlight Grand Finale on Friday, June 6, 2025, at 8:00 p.m., at The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets for the Spotlight Grand Finale are available for free at musiccenter.org/
Spotlight, part of the portfolio of The Music Center’s programming arm TMC Arts, offers teens expert advice, coaching and audition experience as well as mastery classes taught by professional artists and arts administrators. Throughout the competition, which began in fall 2024, the young artists experience a range of invaluable opportunities, such as performance auditions, individual feedback from industry professionals and more than $100,000 in cash awards. To date, The Music Center has awarded more than $2.9 million in scholarships.
With two students chosen in each of the seven categories, this year’s Spotlight Grand Prize winners are:
Acting: 11th grade students Matilda Luz Concha Pearson, 17, of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts; and Baz Felber, 17, of Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual & Performing Arts.
Ballet: 9th grade students Liam Geoffroy, 16, of Huntington Beach High School; and Kiera Sun, 15, of Cabrillo Point Academy.
Classical Instrumental: Minji Choi, 15, a 10th grade student at Northwood High School; and Evangeline Lien, 15, a 9th grade student at Claremont High School.
Classical Voice: Madison Becerra, 18, a senior at Orange County High School of the Arts; and Jane Hasty, 17, a junior at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.
Contemporary Instrumental: 11th grade students Elie Samouhi, 17, of Calabasas High School; and Saoirse Sipes, 17, of Thousand Oaks High School.
Dance: 12th grade students Emma Donnelly, 18, from The Bishop’s School; and River Novin, 17.
Non-Classical Voice: 10th grade students Elina Ghosh, 15, of West Ranch High School; and Harlem Shepherd, 15, of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.
“Congratulations to this year’s extraordinary Spotlight Grand Prize winners! Advancing to the final stage of this distinguished program is a remarkable accomplishment that reflects not only immense talent, but also countless hours of hard work, rehearsals and resilience,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “From the time it began 37 years ago, Spotlight has continued to shape the lives of tens of thousands of students across Southern California. In a world where we all need more connection, joy and inspiration, these young artists remind us of the transformative power of the performing arts and the vital role the arts play in building more vibrant and united communities.”
In addition to the 14 Grand Prize winners, The Music Center also named one honorable mention in each of the seven categories, earning a $1,000 scholarship: Crystin Herring, of Windward School, in acting; Mai Ishiyama, of Excel High School, in ballet; Joshua Ho, of Palisades Charter High School, in classical instrumental; Samuel Siskind, of Lindamood-Bell Academy, in classical voice; Riley Ernt, of Foothill High School, in dance; Samuel Chung, of Orange County School of the Arts, in contemporary instrumental; and Julian Pankowski, of Van Nuys Senior High School, in non-classical voice.
“Over the past 37 years, Spotlight has become an extraordinary family of more than 55,000 young artists who share a passion for the performing arts and whose unwavering determination is praiseworthy. This year’s Grand Prize finalists lifted each other up through every audition, mastery class and rehearsal with resilience and grace,” said Jeri Gaile, Fredric Roberts senior director of The Music Center’s Spotlight. “I am endlessly proud of these students, whose artistry and brilliance shine brighter than ever. They have more than earned their moment on the Ahmanson stage—their performances on June 6 will take your breath away.”
An important part of The Music Center’s fundamental support for arts learning, Spotlight offers performance opportunities, audition experiences and mentorship, plus technical and artistic insights provided by professional artists and arts administrators. It is distinctive from other programs of its type: the program accepts students at every skill level and focuses on learning, growth and accessibility.
Spotlight is completely free with no financial barriers for participants, which gives equal footing to all aspiring artists no matter their talent level. This year, the more than 1,600 teens who auditioned for the prestigious program—from Kern County in the north to San Diego in the south—represented 265 schools, 177 cities and eight counties. All Spotlight applicants receive written feedback from distinguished panels of judges following each audition round to help students improve and gain knowledge in their specific performance discipline.
Since the program’s launch in 1988, numerous Spotlight participants have gone on to successful professional careers. Nearly two dozen past finalists are Presidential Scholars, and many more have joined or performed with professional companies, such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.
Notable Spotlight alumni include Misty Copeland, who made history in the dance world as the first African American principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre; recording artists Adam Lambert and Josh Groban; Emmy Award-winning composer Kris Bowers, whose work includes the scores for Bob Marley: One Love, Bridgerton, Green Book and Dear White People and who is the co-director of the Oscar-winning short documentary The Last Repair Shop; Lindsay Mendez, Tony Award winner for her role in the Broadway revival of Carousel and who recently starred in the Broadway revival Merrily We Roll Along; Erin Mackey, star of Broadway’s Wicked, Sondheim on Sondheim, Anything Goes, Chaplin, and Amazing Grace; Matthew Rushing, interim artistic director for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Yao Guang Zhai, associate principal clarinet of the Toronto Symphony; and Gerald Clayton, GRAMMY Award-winning jazz recording artist; among many others.
Guests and performing arts lovers can elevate their experience at the Spotlight Grand Finale by supporting The Music Center’s inaugural Spotlight Grand Gala, which will take place prior to the Grand Finale performance. Proceeds help ensure that Spotlight continues to be provided, at no cost, to future generations of young artists. Honorary gala chairs are Teresita and Shelby Notkin; honorary gala committee members are Pamela and Dennis Beck; Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen; Merle Mullin; and Fredric Roberts. More information about the Spotlight Grand Gala can be found at musiccenter.org/spotlightgala
Major support for The Music Center’s Spotlight program is provided by lead endowment benefactor and founding chairman of Spotlight Fredric Roberts, Edgerton Foundation, Robert Gold and Cathy Stone. Fredric Roberts is founding chairman of Spotlight; the late Walter E. Grauman is the creator.
For more information about The Music Center’s Spotlight program, visit musiccenter.org/spotlight or follow @musiccenterspotlight on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and @spotlightawards on X.
To RSVP for free tickets to this year’s Spotlight Grand Finale, visit musiccenter.org/
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