Local Teen Named National Finalist in YoungArts Awards

Young Artists of America at Strathmore has announced that one of their students, Amanda Primosch (17, Rockville, MD) has been named a 2018 National YoungArts Foundation Finalist in Voice, the organization's highest honor.

She will participate in the 37th Annual National YoungArts Week in Miami, Florida, from January 7th to 14th, 2018.

Primosch has been studying voice and the performing arts extracurricularly with Young Artists of America at Strathmore since 2014. She is currently a senior at The Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, Maryland. She has performed in all seven school-year and three summer shows since starting the program and will play Mother in YAA's upcoming production of Ragtime in Concert (April 15, 2018 at the Music Center at Strathmore).

This year's finalists were selected from the most competitive pool of applicants to date. Primosch is one of 21 national finalists within the discipline of voice. Across all artistic disciplines, only 171 finalists were selected out of 8,000 applications from 47 states. YoungArts winners gain access to one of the most comprehensive programs for emerging artists in the United States, offering financial, professional and artistic development opportunities over the course of their careers. A complete list of the 2018 winners, all 15-18 years old or in grades 10-12, is available online at youngarts.org/winners.

Primosch will receive a cash prize of up to $10,000, opportunities to share her work with the public at renowned institutions such as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Sotheby's (New York) and New World Center (Miami), and access to professional, award-winning mentors including Doug Blush, Nora Chipaumire, Lisa Fischer, Corin Lee, Karen Olivo, Elizabeth Joy Roe, Patrice Rushen, and Janis Siegel among others.

"When I received notice that Amanda Primosch was named a YoungArts finalist, I must admit that I was not surprised. Amanda has been cultivating her voice since she began high school, and she is one of the hardest working students I have had the pleasure to teach. Young Artists of America at Strathmore would like to congratulate Amanda for being recognized as one of the best classical singers in the nation."

Primosch is also eligible for nomination to the White House-appointed Commission on Presidential Scholars. As the sole nominating agency, YoungArts selects 60 Finalists each year, 20 of whom are selected to become U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, one of the highest honors for a graduating high school senior.

Rolando Sanz, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Young Artists of America said, "I am very honored to have been selected as a finalist," Primosch noted. "It is a dream come true, and I look forward to participating in the program, representing my school, hometown and Young Artists of America at Strathmore, and meeting all of the other finalists from around the country."

Young Artists of America at Strathmore (YAA) trains high school and middle school level performing artists in collaboration with leading, professional artists to present fully-orchestrated productions at state-of-the-art venues, like our home stage at the Music Center at Strathmore. Go to www.yaa.org for more information.

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