The following 16 students have been named as semifinalists for the 2025 Artist of the Year in instrumental music out of 120 nominees. The students were chosen by a panel of teachers based on written statements, artistic résumés performance videos or a portfolio of compositions/arrangements.
In submitting their work, students identified their strongest specialty within the discipline and the judges use that specialty to help focus their evaluations.
Students are also placed into divisions based on the number of years they have been studying instrumental music. Students with a combination of five years of music training in middle school, high school and private training are placed into Division 1. Students with less than five years of combined training are placed into Division 2. A minimum of two Division 2 students are guaranteed to be invited to be semifinalists.
During the final round of adjudication, students are interviewed by a panel of distinguished artistic professionals and faculty members from Southern California universities. Interviews include a live presentation by the students followed by a conversation with the student.
Five top students will be chosen in each discipline — four finalists plus the Artist of the Year. The finalists and Artists of the Year will be announced next Sunday, April 27 online and in print in a special section of The Orange County Register.
Related: Orange County high school Artist of the Year semifinalists announced
On Wednesday, May 7, an awards celebration will be held at Memorial Hall on the campus of Chapman University and is free and open to the public. This event will include performances and presentations by the top students.
This program is generously sponsored by the Chapman University College of Performing Arts and Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Additional support is provided by Arts Orange County and individual donors.
If you would like to support Artist of the Year with a donation, you can contribute here. Donations will be made to Arts Orange County on behalf of Artist of the Year.
If you are interested in helping Artist of the Year grow by becoming a sponsor of this program, send an email to ocartistoftheyear@aoy.scng.com.
Amicus Carrasco, senior, Portola High School
Division 2 | Composer
“While I primarily create electronic music, working on live theater audio has expanded and molded aspects of my style, and I’ve gained valuable knowledge on equalization, live music mixes, etc. Additionally, my time in choir has influenced the way I approach song structure and chord progressions, as we’ve naturally learned music theory along with our seasonal repertoire.”
Jaxon Cunningham, junior, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts
Division 1 | Guitar, bass, drums, keys
“I have loved music for as long as I can remember and even now I find myself obsessing over new music I discover. … (A) hugely influential song for me was ‘2112’ by Rush. Even though I had already been playing music by the time I discovered it, it absolutely destroyed my mind that music could be mastered, played, and expressed so well, and it started me on my journey of writing music. I was exposed to so much great music when I was younger, and my love for hard rock and metal music continues to branch off into new avenues of music discovery where I now find myself listening to anything from jazz fusion to avant-garde classical, while still keeping my original love for heavy rock music.”
Albert Guerra, senior, Santa Ana High School
Division 2 | Drums
“Being in Wind Ensemble for four years has allowed me to work closely with other musicians, teaching me the importance of collaboration, active listening and adapting to different roles within a group. Playing in a band is not just about individual skill — it’s about blending with others, adjusting dynamics, and responding to the overall flow of the music. This ability to work as part of a team has influenced my interactions in everyday life, making me a better communicator and a more understanding person.”
Amy Lantz, senior, University High School
Division 1 | Cello
“It wasn’t until a masterclass with Carl St.Clair, the conductor of Pacific Symphony, when I gained my first insight into what being a true musician meant. He said that musicianship encompasses not only the notes on the page but the purpose and intentions behind them. We must ask questions, both from our own and the composer’s perspective. … I now play my cello not only to ‘sound good’ and make people ‘feel good,’ but to convey valuable messages in ways my listeners will never forget.”
Daniel Lee, junior, Crean Lutheran High School
Division 1 | Trumpet
“I aspire to be like Gilbert Kaplan. Kaplan was a prominent financial publisher and businessman after graduating law school. He subsequently went on to conduct Mahler Symphony No. 2 in dozens of live performances with world-class orchestras like the Vienna Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra. He worked tirelessly to make Mahler accessible to all, publishing his manuscripts to the public and making his grand symphonies digestible. Kaplan lived with a firm grasp of reality in his work. Yet, he cherished his other life as a musician. Thanks to Kaplan and Mahler, I was able to learn that my potential career in music can be synergized with my potential career as a lawyer, banker, businessman, or federal judge.”
Jiyu Lee, junior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1 | Violin
“When I imagine my future with music, I think of performing on the street. I believe this notion stems from my devotion to sharing music everywhere, not only in the concert hall but also in shared public spaces where everyone can enjoy a simple tune as they walk by. Music matters in smaller communities, no matter the background. My privilege of learning the violin and gaining such abilities gives me a responsibility to share it with those who cannot play an instrument.”
Rubi Lee, senior, Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra
Division 1 | Violin
“Art demands vulnerability. It requires shedding the layers of technical precision to expose something deeply human. Whether I’m writing, curating playlists, or playing, each medium draws on a different part of my creative psyche, offering new ways to express and connect. But music holds a unique power: it bypasses language, speaking directly to the sensory and emotional core of human experience. As an artist, I’m not just playing notes — I’m offering pieces of myself, using music as a bridge to share my purpose, and connecting with others through a language that transcends understanding and words.”
Alvina Lin, senior, Beckman High School
Division 1 | Cello
“As an artist myself, art is not only a way for me to express the sophistication of my soul, but it also helps me to realize the importance of effort in my daily life. It’s crystal clear that artistic talent doesn’t work if there are no practices and hard work being put in. And my artistic skills have definitely helped me mature the realization that our art and life journey are parallelized, they would both never be flawless, which helps me stay engaged with the present rather than fall into the delusional romanticism of human perfection.”
Allie Molin, senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1 | Trumpet, flugelhorn
“One of the most impactful musical experiences I’ve had was being a part of the 2024 Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo. This jazz ensemble, directed by professional bassist Katie Thiroux, selects six of the top female high school jazz musicians internationally to perform together at the Monterey Jazz Festival. This experience enabled me to perform with an all-female jazz group for the first time in my life, as well as exposing me to more music written by female composers, and getting to work with and learn from fellow women in jazz. I have often been the only woman in the jazz ensembles I’ve been a part of, so this experience was really eye-opening for me, and it has made me more passionate about highlighting the music & abilities of female musicians.”
Jackson Olsen, senior, Tesoro High School
Division 1 | Piano
“I don’t like using the word ‘influencer’ at all, but I believe as an artist, you do a lot of influencing. To be an artist is to be not of the culture, but the culture itself. Musicians and artists today should take a lot of pride in that, whilst viewing their position as a responsibility to healing and bringing the world together; that’s just simply what music does. True artists don’t seek fame or popularity, they should strive to put out their work in it’s truest and most honest form, no matter what anyone else thinks.”
Hayden Park, junior, private instructor Judy Huang
Division 1 | Piano, violin
“I’ve been drawn to writing for as long as I’ve loved music. My parents say I was telling stories before I could read, and by third grade, my composition book was my constant companion — filled with stories, characters, and sketches. I carried it everywhere: restaurants, family gatherings, long car rides. In high school, my writing expanded to poetry, screenwriting and creative nonfiction. Music makes me feel, and writing gives those feelings a voice. Writing is like extending a tiny, glowing wire of myself, hoping someone sees the light and connects. Come with me, this was how it felt — live mine, and remember yours. This relationship is symbiotic. My imagination shapes how I interpret music, just as my passion for music fuels my writing.”
Justin Kwak Park, senior, Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra
Division 1 | Violin
“As an ardent musician, I have seen and felt the positive impact of music on building relationships and spreading positivity. As a curious scientist, I explored intricate functionalities of the latest medical technologies. As both a musician and scientist, I have found that there are many paths to emotional and physical health through perseverance and passion.”
Oooju Robinson, senior, Woodbridge High School
Division 1 | Cello
“Within my career, I am not entirely set on what I want to do yet. I’m not sure if I want to be an orchestral player, a chamber musician, or maybe even a soloist of some sort. In college I hope to get equal opportunities to try those all out and see what I’m best at. What I do know about my career however, is to inspire and educate generations to come and get as many people excited about classical music as possible.”
Alyssa Eri Snow, senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1 | Piano
“I believe that a classical musician is an artist who sculpts sound using our interpretations of the composers’ vision through our unique interpretation of music. A sculptor of sound engages in a dialogue across time, emotion and perspective. I navigate the unique space where creativity meets discipline. While many see artists as unbound, classical musicians grapple with interpreting a composer’s vision while honoring the vision and infusing it with our own unique voice.”
David Wong, junior, private instructor Kathy Oh
Division 1 | Oboe
“Every single day, I grapple with things that shouldn’t concern me: an overbearing world that feels fragmented along sectional divides that tear us as humans apart from one another. Then I juggle responsibilities that do concern me: grades, family bonds, friendships, volunteering, all things I enjoy and love doing but with nothing to glue them together. That is what music is, the glue that holds together our families, friendships, even across the world.”
Kyle Yeung, junior, Pacific Academy
Division 1 | Piano
“Artists are very effective in leveraging art to communicate an emotion, an idea, or a story. I personally love composing because it is my favorite way to share with the world what is inside my head. I also believe music is a universal language that bring peoples from different countries and cultures together. Sharing an artist’s stories and emotions via music with the world is to me one of the great gifts an artist can give someone. Arts come in many forms: a painting, a novel, a dance, a song, and many more.”
