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Cincinnati Arts Association Overture Awards Announce Winners
By: BWW Special Coverage Mar. 05, 2012
The Cincinnati Arts Association has announced the winners of its 2012 Overture Awards Scholarship Competition, held on Saturday, March 3, 2012 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 United States 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.
The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held in early January at the Aronoff Center, Northern Kentucky University, St. Ursula Academy, The University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College, and Xavier University. The top 20 percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, held at the Aronoff Center on January 21. Twenty-four finalists (four in each discipline) then competed in the Finals Competition at the Aronoff Center on Saturday March 3.
The Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber 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.
THE 2012 OVERTURE AWARDS FINALISTS
Winners listed in bold.
CREATIVE WRITING
- · HannaLee Goldman – Sycamore High School, grade 11
- · Olivia Morris – Beechwood High School, grade 12
- · Emma Wahl – Mount Notre Dame High School, grade 12
- · Gina Wei – William Mason High School, grade 12
DANCE
- · Danielle Betscher – Just Off Broadway / homeschool, grade 11
- · Drew Lovejoy – McGing Irish Dancers / Ohio Connections Academy, grade 12
- · Ryan McCreary – Northern Cincinnati Youth Ballet / homeschool, grade 10
- · Jacob Thoman – Planet Dance / School for Creative and Performing Arts, grade 9
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
- · Kevin Bao – Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, grade 10
- · Thomas Heidenreich – CCM Prep / Walnut Hills High School, grade 11
- · Mariko Shimasaki – CCM Prep / Kenton Ridge High School, grade 11
- · Tracy Wong – Sycamore High School, grade 11
THEATER
- · Shannon Beam – Strakowski Song Studio / St. Ursula Academy, grade 12
- · Emily Kissela – Sycamore High School, grade 11
- · Max Meyers – Gina Cerimele-Mechley Acting Studio / Wyoming High School, grade 12
- · Jo Ellen Pellman – Marilyn Zelcer Studio / Walnut Hills High School, grade 10
VISUAL ART
- · Paloma Ianes – School for Creative and Performing Arts, grade 12
- · Betsy Toadvine – Kings High School, grade 12
- · Nicole Volpenhein – Ursuline Academy, grade 12
- · Elaine Yung – Turpin High School, grade 12
VOCAL MUSIC
- · Christian Betts – Walnut Hills High School, grade 12
- · Tyler Blincoe – Villa Madonna Academy, grade 12
- · Holly Reckers – Mother of Mercy High School, grade 12
- · Megan Terlau – Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, grade 12
CREATIVE WRITING: HannaLee Goldman – Sycamore High School, grade 11
HOMETOWN: Blue Ash, OH – Hannalee is from Blue Ash and is a lifelong writer. Poetry is where she feels the most at home, and for the past few years she has been amazed in the appreciation and exploration of her own and others' words at Women Writing for a Change.
DANCE: Danielle Betscher – Just Off Broadway / homeschool, grade 11
HOMETOWN: Amelia, OH – Danielle is a 13-year team member at Just Off Broadway, and a six-year performer with the Cincinnati Ballet in The Nutcracker. She is the 2012 Miss Dance of Ohio and President of Junior members of Dance Masters of Ohio. Daniel aspires to attend Oklahoma City University and become a Radio City Rockette. She thanks God and her family for all her wonderful opportunities.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC: Tracy Wong – Sycamore High School, grade 11
HOMETOWN: Blue Ash, OH – Tracy began playing the piano at age four. She made her orchestral debut in Russia when she was 11 and was later given opportunities to perform with orchestras in America and Europe through international competitions. When not practicing, Tracy enjoys working with autistic children through music. In order to do so, she plans to double-major in piano and music psychology.
THEATER: Jo Ellen Pellman – Marilyn Zelcer Studio / Walnut Hills High School, grade 10
HOMETOWN: Mt. Airy, OH – Jo Ellen has performed with the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Carnegie Center for the Performing Arts, and The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati. She studies ballet and tap at CCM Prep and voice at the Musical Arts Center. She wants to say, "Thank you family!"
VISUAL ART: Paloma Ianes – School for Creative and Performing Arts, grade 12
HOMETOWN: Clifton, OH – Paloma has lived most of her life in Cincinnati, although her parents are originally from Argentina. In 2011, she won SCPA's Corbett Mayerson Competition in Visual Arts. She has attended workshops and artistic discussions with world renowned artists such as Matthew Monahan.
VOCAL MUSIC: Megan Terlau – Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, grade 12
HOMETOWN: Loveland, OH – Megan has been studying voice with Karl Resnik at the Musical Arts Center for the past four years. In 2010 Megan received the "Most Promising Sophomore" award and was a Finalist in the Schmidt vocal competition. She plans to study vocal performance in college.
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