Colburn School's Access Fund Surpasses $8.4 Million Mark; Special Event Held At Disney Animation Studios

The Colburn School hosted a private event and screening of Disney-Pixar's new film Coco on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at Walt Disney Animation Studios, to celebrate the Access Fund for endowed scholarships, which has surpassed the $8.4 million mark. The proceeds from this event, which exceed $440,000, contributed to this milestone. The Access Fund will provide need-based scholarships for Colburn's Community School of Performing Arts students, making an exceptional performing arts education accessible to thousands of aspiring students from throughout Los Angeles who wish to pursue their artistic passions.

This evening was hosted by Andrew Millstein, Walt Disney Animation Studios President and Chairman of Colburn School's Board of Directors.

The festivities began with a reception held in the Disney Animation theater lobby for over 100 guests, who enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres before being treated to a private screening of Coco. At the conclusion of the film, after rapturous applause, guests were welcomed to a communal space on the second floor for a family-style dinner of traditional Mexican food. The space was designed to reflect that of Coco, featuring vibrant colors and symbols of Mexican culture.

Before the dinner, Anthony Gonzalez gave a wonderful vocal performance of "Remember Me," a ranchero-style song featured in Coco, and was accompanied by Kenton Youngstrom, faculty member and guitar instructor at the Colburn School. Anthony attends the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts, and was cast to voice Coco's lead character Miguel, in his first ever major film role. This year, Anthony was also accepted to the Colburn's Herbert Zipper Scholarship program, a competitive program for students with high potential and financial need.

Following the performance, Andrew Millstein hosted a conversation with Anthony Gonzalez and his mother Lilian, in which he thanked the crowd for their generous support of the Colburn School and the Access Fund. Anthony remarked that his studies at Colburn School came at a fortuitous time, "The Colburn School is where I can pursue my passion for singing. The audition process for Coco was a long one, and it was important to train my voice. I'm very grateful for my teachers, who continue to encourage and support me."

During dinner, guests enjoyed live music performed by the Colburn Jazz Ensemble, featuring students Angelo Valesquez, Luca Mendoza and Julian Gomez.

As guests departed, each received a special gift, a signed lithograph of visual development artwork from Coco, signed by producer Darla K. Anderson, and co-directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina.

Please click here to read more about Anthony Gonzalez.

About the Colburn School

The Colburn School comprises four academic units united by a single philosophy that all who desire to study music and dance should have access to top-level training. The degree granting Conservatory of Music, the Community School of Performing Arts, the Music Academy for pre-college musicians, and the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute provide performing-arts training to over 2,000 students from the Los Angeles area and around the world. The renowned teachers, performers, and scholars that make up Colburn's dedicated faculty serve as invaluable mentors to guide students' artistic development. The Community School of Performing Arts acts as an entry point to performing-arts education, offering beginning to pre-collegiate training in music and drama to students of all ages and skill levels. The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute includes dance instruction for young people and adults in ballet, tap, modern, and musical theater. Also part of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute is the pre-professional Dance Academy, which prepares a select class of young dancers for careers in ballet. Young musicians from around the world study at the Music Academy, which prepares high-school aged students for further training at the world's top conservatories. Finally, the Conservatory of Music is one of the preeminent training grounds for classical musicians, with undergraduate and advanced degrees in music performance. A robust community engagement initiative delivers performing arts education to low-income students in the surrounding areas through outreach and scholarship programs. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the Colburn School's campus boasts state-of- the-art performance and rehearsal spaces. Each season, the school presents over 300 concerts and performances, many of which are free and open to the public, at its downtown home and throughout Southern California.

Photo credit: Craig T Mathew/Mathew Imaging

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