CINCINNNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is proud to present the 2015 Overture Awards Finals Competition. The Overture Awards provides $4,000 each to six area high school students for education and training expenses, with 18 finalists each winning $1,000.
The Overture Awards Finals Competition and Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 1:00 PM at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater. Winners will be announced immediately following the competition.
This year, 465 students were nominated by their schools to compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage, and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. It also provides students an opportunity to share their talents and interests among their peers in a supportive environment outside of their individual schools. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final, and Final.
The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held on January 10 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Immanuel United Methodist Church (Lakeside Park, KY), Saint Ursula Academy, University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash College, and Xavier University. The top 20 percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, which were held at the Aronoff Center on January 16 and 17. Twenty-four finalists (four in each discipline) will compete in the Finals Competition at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater on February 28.
Now in its 19th year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a program of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce). The Overture Awards is funded and administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which operates and manages the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. The Overture Awards also relies on hundreds of volunteers from the community who help raise funds, adjudicate and manage the competitions, and nurture the program.
Overture Awards Program Sponsors: Carey Digital; Citi; The Eleanora C.U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee
Scholarship Sponsors: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation; The William O. Purdy, Jr. Foundation; Summerfair Cincinnati; Western & Southern Financial.
Competition Sponsors: Buddy Roger’s Music, Immanuel United Methodist Church (Lakeside Park, KY), St. Ursula Academy, University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash College, Xavier University.
THE 2015 OVERTURE AWARDS FINALISTS
CREATIVE WRITING
- Zoe Cheng—grade 12, Walnut Hills High School
- Katie Hibner—grade 12, William Mason High School
- Meg Spencer—grade 12, Beechwood High School
- Alexandra Sukin—grade 12, Cincinnati Country Day School
DANCE
- Jordan Betscher—grade 11, Just Off Broadway/Homeschool
- Joseph Harrington—grade 10, Just Off Broadway/School for Creative and Performing Arts
- Megan Kernan—grade 12, Just Off Broadway/Turpin High School
- Mary Moore—grade 11, School for Creative and Performing Arts
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
- Emma Burge—grade 11, Sycamore High School
- Isabella Geis—grade 11, Walnut Hills High School
- David Godar—grade 9, CCM Preparatory/Sycamore High School
- Matthew Repka—grade 12, Conner High School
THEATER
- Kennedy Carstens—grade 12, Ursuline Academy
- Sam Johnson—grade 11, Boone County High School
- Kalie Kaimann—grade 12, Seton High School
- Victoria Shields—grade 11, Bray Music Studio/Lakota East High School
VISUAL ART
- Claire Bowman—grade 12, Walnut Hills High School
- Phoenix Brown—grade 12, School for Creative and Performing Arts
- Clair Hopper—grade 12, Ursuline Academy
- Jaye Johnson—grade 12, Wyoming High School
VOCAL MUSIC
- Mackenzie Jacquemin—grade 12, Wyoming High School
- Jake Kolesar—grade 12, Walnut Hills High School
- James Rootring—grade 11, Karl Resnik Studio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
- Logan Wagner—grade 11, Dixie Heights High School
Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 600,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than 1.3 million students.
CAA is proud to be a member of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Greater Cincinnati Alliance for Arts Education, Cincinnati USAConvention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, and Performing Arts Center Consortium.
WHAT: 2015 Overture Awards – Finals Competition and Awards Ceremony
WHERE: Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater
WHEN: Saturday, February 28, 2015 – 1:00 PM
TICKETS: $15 • $10
INFO: The 2015 Overture Awards competition provides $4,000 each to six area high school students for education and training expenses with 18 finalists each winning $1,000. Students compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage, and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12.
TICKET INFORMATION – on sale now
www.CincinnatiArts.org
(513) 621-ARTS [2787]
Aronoff Center Ticket Office
