









Dear Friends and Families,
It is our privilege to welcome you to the 2024-2025 performance season at California School of the Arts –San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV)! We are delighted to have you join us for our eighth season of showstopping performances, concerts, events, and more, all showcasing the tireless work and dedication of our exceptionally talented students and faculty.
The inspiring devotion and passion of our CSArts-SGV community has not gone unnoticed. Our school is currently ranked the #1 Best Charter High School in California, the #3 Best Public High School in Los Angeles County, and the #4 Best High School for the Arts in America by Niche. CSArts-SGV also holds the title of Best Charter School in the San Gabriel Valley by Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, and Whittier Daily News
We could not be more proud of the many successes of our students, teachers, and staff, and we are thrilled to see what else we can all accomplish together as a CSArts-SGV family this school year. It is our first year together as joint principals, and there are so many other firsts on this season’s horizon that we are excited to be a part of, including welcoming our very first group of sixth grade students to CSArts-SGV!
Sincerely,
Stephen Cook, D.M.A. Principal of Arts
Nicole Read Principal of Academics
Of course, all of these incredible accomplishments could not be achieved without the support of our community. We would like to express our gratitude to our 2024-2025 Season Sponsors, Edison International and Max H. Gluck Foundation, as well as to our Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors, President’s Circle, Encore, and Family Action Network members. Their continued support, leadership, and vision help to shape the lives of our students each and every day. Additionally, we would like to express our appreciation to the Duarte Unified School District (DUSD), the DUSD Board of Education, and the City of Duarte Council Members, whose continued partnership is vital to the mission of CSArts-SGV.
Finally, we must honor our parents, alumni, administrators, faculty and staff, members of the local community, and most importantly, our student artists. Our students are the inspiration and driving force behind everything that we do.
We are thrilled to have you join us in celebrating another impressive performance season at CSArts-SGV. Sit back and enjoy as our students Shine Brightly!
WE PROVIDE AN UNPARALLELED ARTS AND ACADEMIC EDUCATION IN A CREATIVE, CHALLENGING, AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENT TO A DIVERSE GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ARTS, PREPARING THEM TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL.
Established in 2017, California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV) offers a dynamic school culture that enables students to flourish as artists and scholars. The school currently serves a diverse student body of approximately 1,200 students in grades 6-12. Students in grades 6-8 receive their academic instruction through the Duarte Unified School District (DUSD) and their arts classes through the CSArts-SGV conservatory program. Beginning in grade 9, students attend classes full-time on the CSArts-SGV campus.
In addition to offering a challenging college-preparatory academic program that produces high-achieving, motivated scholars, CSArts-SGV provides aspiring young artists with the opportunity to refine their skills and flourish in one of 11 arts conservatories. Each year, students participate in more than 60 concerts, recitals, staged performances, and exhibitions at a variety of venues, providing students with the unique experience of entertaining and inspiring hundreds of audience members.
CSArts-SGV is a donation-dependent public charter school; no student is offered or denied admission based on financial capacity. The school’s rigorous academic education coupled with advanced arts training impacts many students, molding creative thinkers, leaders, artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
#5 BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS IN AMERICA
Niche, 2025
CREATIVE TEAM
KIRK AVERITT, Director of Vocal Arts, Choral Director | Producer
TYLER MCGEOUGH, Director of Instrumental Music | Producer
DR. MATHEW WARD, Strings and Orchestra Program Coordinator | Conductor
JOANNA WALLFISCH, Vocal Jazz Ensemble Director
DR. RUBY WANG & DR. ESTHER YUNE, Piano Program Coordinators
AARON SHOWS, Accompanist
LIGHTING DESIGNER
CASEY LEATHERWOOD
AUDIO ENGINEER / A1
BRENDAN EDER
NOTE
Music has been a part of the human experience for just about as long as humans have been around. While we don’t know the exact origins of music, we do know that it has always served as a means of making sense of life’s most profound mysteries. In tonight’s concert, we journey through the themes of transition, remembrance, and acceptance that unfold through the works of composers who invite us to reflect on the ephemeral nature of life and the beauty of its passing seasons.
We open with Franz Schubert’s Death and the Maiden, a gripping string quartet that sets the tone for the evening’s reflections on mortality. Schubert himself only lived to the age of 31 - a life cut short. The program then leads us through Bizet’s Carmen Suite, capturing passion and fate in its dynamic melodies. From the timeless beauty of Plaisir d’amour to the soaring jazz harmonies of Weather to Fly, each piece contributes to our exploration of change and the emotions that accompany it.
PROGRAM
NOTE continued
The CSArts Philharmonic opens our second act with Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, conjuring the eerie image of Death leading a midnight waltz. This piece is followed by Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte - a meditative elegy with lilting and sorrowful phrases. These works set the stage for the culmination of our concert: Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, a work that is unique in the requiem tradition. Fauré chose not to echo the fire and brimstone/ fear based approach of many settings. His vision of the afterlife is one of peace, of light, and of eternal rest. The choir sings many times in the work “et lux perpetua, luceat eis” or “and may eternal light shine on them.” His Requiem does not dwell in grief, but rather embraces transition with a sense of quiet assurance and celestial beauty.
It is a joy to bring together the ensembles of California School of the Arts, Church of the Good Shepherd, and Citrus College. This collaboration across institutions, generations and musical disciplines is exactly what music
PROGRAM
NOTE continued is meant to do: bring us together to celebrate our common humanity.
As you listen tonight, may you find comfort in these melodies and texts: reminders that even as life shifts and changes, music remains a steadfast guide, leading us gently toward understanding, toward peace, and toward the transcendent beauty of the human spirit.
Director of the Vocal Arts Conservatory, California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley
Chancel Choir Director, Church of the Good Shepherd
STRING QUARTET
Death and the Maiden by Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
CHLOE FILBECK
DONOVAN UMAGUING
JOSHUA CHAE
ELIJAH TSHING
PIANO VOCAL SOLO
Carmen Suite by Georges Bizet (1838-1875) arr. Kroeger
DAVID ZHANG
ASHER JOHNSTON
Plaisir d’amour by Jean-Paul-Egide Martini (1741-1816)
NATALIE PARK
VOCAL JAZZ
ENSEMBLE
Joanna Wallfisch & Kirk Averitt, Directors
Weather to Fly by
CAYLEE RUBIO, bass
Soloists:
LUKE ADKINS
ABI ALTRUZ
SIRI BALDRICA
BRIDGETTE BERGMAN
ABBY CHASSLER
KHAI DIMACULANGAN
MAYA PROULX
SOFIA SILVA
WOODWIND
TRIO
Dr. Micah Wright, Director
Cinq pièces en trio by Jacques Ibert (1890-1962)
I. Allegro vivo
II. Andantino
III. Allegro assai
IV. Andante
V. Allegro quasi marziale
RILEY HARRIS
MARALL THANIAN
EVA WOLFE
PIANO PROGRAM
Dr. Ruby Wang, Program Coordinator
Petite Suite by Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
I. En bateau (Sailing): Andantino
II. Cortège (Retinue): Moderato
CHLOE LEE NICOLE LEBARON
VOCAL SOLO
Til I Hear You Sing from Love Never Dies by Andrew Lloyd Weber (b.1948)
ADAM URIARTE
15 MINUTE INTERMISSION
CSARTS - SGV PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Dr. Mathew Ward, Conductor
Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921)
Pavane for a Dead Princess by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)
ORCHESTRA MUSICIANS LISTED ON PAGE 23
Requiem, Op. 48 by Gabriel
Faure
(1825-1924)
I. Introït et Kyrie
II. Offertoire STEVEN PENCE, Soloist
III. Sanctus
IV. Pie Jesu AMARIE VELARDE, Soloist
V. Agnus Dei
VI. Libera Me STEVEN PENCE, Soloist
VII. In Paradisum
Small Group: ZORA KUZMA
BAILEY LAZARO
NATALIE PARK
SOFIA SILVA
DESTINY VEGA
Steve Pence has appeared as a soloist with most of the major classical music organizations in Southern California, including The Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Los Angeles Opera, The Los Angeles Master Chorale, The Pasadena Symphony, and The Long Beach Symphony. He has also performed solos internationally with National Orchestra of Uruguay, The London Philharmonic, and The National Orchestra of Peru. Steve is especially known for his solo work in Brahms’ Ein Deutches Requiem and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, though he has sung much of the concert repertoire, including Bach’s B-minor Mass, St. John Passion, and St. Matthew Passion, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Maria Theresa Mass, Creation Mass, and Creation, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Handel’s Messiah, and the Requiem Masses of Mozart and Verdi. In 2015, he created the role of The Kaiser in John Powell’s A Prussian Requiem, a role he recorded with The London Philharmonic and tenor Javier Camarena under the baton of Jose Serebrier on the album Hubris. Steve’s opera roles include Sarastro in the Die Zauberflote, King Alonzo in Hoiby’s The Tempest, and Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro. He has lent his voice to numerous films including Pacific Rim, The Secret Life of Pets, Despicable me 2, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker. He can be heard as a soloist on the score of Happy Feet 2.
Flute
MARALL TAHANIAN*
GRACE BOTERO
CATALINA TSAO
Oboe
SEAN CULLEN
Clarinet
EVA WOLFE*
JADE JIMENEZ
Bassoon
RILEY RODRIGUEZ*
Percussion
RAY ZHAO*
ANGELO ALVAREZ
RAUL CORREA
Viola
CYAN LE*
JOSHUA CHAE^
Violin I
CONNOR HUSSAIN*
CHLOE FILBECK^
KEVIN SI
DONOVAN UMAGUING
MICAH CHOI
EMMA STELZRIED
Violin II
SCARLETT MALEKIAN*
SOPHIA MALEKIAN**
MATTHEW TANG
CORDELIA RACHBACH
AZUCENA ALMEDA
Horn
CAYLEE RUBIO*
JOSE SEGNINI
EMMANUEL RICKARDS - RUIZ
Trumpet
SOPHIA ALTAMIRANO*
Trombone
PENELOPE BERGSTROM*
Cello
NOAH CHOI*
SANTIAGO HAYDEL**
ELIJAH TSHING
EUNA LEE
MILA MORALES
CELINE ZENG
EVAN IM
Bass
MILA TAMBAOAN
*Denotes Principal | ^Denotes Co-Principal | **Denotes Assistant Principal
LUKE ADKINS
IZZY ALONZO
ABI ALTRUZ
SIRI BALDRICA
BRIDGETTE BERGMAN
SAWYER BIRTJA
SKY BROY
ENZO CHAVEZ
SAMANTHA CHIANG
KHAI DIMACULANGAN
ENZO EMERSON
DYLAN ESCOBEDO
CHANTEL GARCIA
CYRIS GOVEA
JONAH HASHIM
CRUZ JIMENEZ
EDWARD JONES
KRIŠS KINS
ZORA KUZMA
BAILEY LAZARO
STELLA MALDONADO
FANA MISA
MAYA PROULX
HUDSON RABON
PAULINA RAMOS
CITLALY REYES
STELLA RINEY
LAURA RODRIGUEZ
SCARLETT ROMERO
JOSE SEGNINI
SOFIA SILVA
ERIK STAFFORD
JAYLIN TILLMAN
ADAM URIARTE
AMARIE VELARDE
VICTORIA VILLALOBOS
CSARTS CHORALE
AZUL ALVARADO
ALIORA ARYA
LINA BUTLER
NEISSY CAMARENA
NAOMI CATCHPOLE
JULIA CHAMBERS
ABIGAIL CHASSLER
GIOVANNA CHUI
SIENA FANTINI
LUCI FORESTER
SAQUEEN GHIMIRIE
JOSEFINA HEREDIA
MIA HU
LILIANA JARRET
GIANNA JIMENEZ
CHLOE KENDALL - GURZI
SOFIA MCDUGLE
LIZZY MENDOLO
PRANAMYA NAGESH
NATALIE PARK
EMI PERALTA
NICOLE PERRUSI SILVA DE PAULA
AMAYA PHILLIPS
LEAH ROBISON
KEIRA RODE
ALEXIS SALAZAR
KATARINA SHCHRANSKY
TEMPELE STEWART
LONDYN TIBBS
LILY VAN DER MOLEN
DESTINY VEGA
LUCY WALKER
BELLA WILLIAMS
LILYHOPE WILLIAMS
VENICE WONG
CSARTS VOCAL JAZZ
ENSEMBLE
LUKE ADKINS
ABI ALTRUZ
SIRI BALDRICA
BRIDGETTE BERGMAN
ABIGAIL CHASSLER
ENZO CHAVEZ
KHAI DIMACULANGAN
CYRIS GOVEA
JONAH HASHIM
MAYA PROULX
SOFIA SILVA
ERIK STAFFORD
ADAM URIARTE
CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
MARY ARCHIBALD
KENNETH BLAIR
MARGARET BLAIR
JANICE CLARK
JOE D’AMORE
MARCIA D’AMORE
ETHAN FLORES
PERLITA FLORES
SEAN FLORES
BARBARA GEORGE
CHRIS HOLDER
GARRISON HOLDER
STEPHENSON HOLDER
SUSAN HOLDER
SUSAN JANSS
ZORA KUZMA
KENNETH LANDAVERDE
STELLA MALDONADO
CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD continued
CAROLYN NOONCHESTER
AMARIE VELARDE
MICHEL VON LOH
SUZANNE WHITAKER
SUZANNE WRIGHT
ASHLEY ZHAO
CITRUS COLLEGE
ALEXANDRA BALTAZAR
BRITNI BRANDNER
STEPHANIE CARABANTES
CORI CAVAZOS
CASEY CLARA
PAIGE CONNOR
AARALYN DAVIS
JULIO GARCIA - VEGA
JACEN GODINEZ
CHRIS GRIMSTAD
MONICA HERNANDEZ
ANGEL LOPEZ
MIKLAYNE LOWE
LEXI LUCERO-BALTAZAR
MICAH LUNA
TRINITY MORENO
DYANNA PLASCENCIA
EMILY RAMIREZ
RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ - CASTRO
RACHEL SAYAGO
KRYSTA ANNE TILLETT
JENE TINIO
SARA TUAZON
NEVADA VALDEZ
DAVID VILCHES
Church of the Good Shepherd Foundation
Principal of Arts
STEPHEN COOK, D.M.A.
Principal of Academics
NICOLE READ
Assistant Principal SEAN KERR
Assistant Principal LEON METOYER
Founder & Strategic Consultant
STEVEN WAGNER
FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP
President TEREN SHAFFER
Vice President of Communications
KELLY ANDREWS
Vice President of Development
ELIZABETH TON
Director of Development
AMANDA WARNER
THANK YOU TO FACULTYCSARTS-SGVALL AND STAFF!
SCHOOL OF DANCE
Director of Dance
BRIDGET MCNALLY
SCHOOL OF FINE & MEDIA ARTS
Director of Creative Writing
TIMOTHY GOMEZ
Director of Integrated Arts
JOEY ANCONA
Director of Visual Arts
TIFFANY MA
Middle School Coordinator, Royal Oaks STEAM Academy
STEPHANIE MALETZ
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Director of Instrumental Music
Co-Director of Popular Music
TYLER MCGEOUGH
Director of Vocal Arts
Co-Director of Popular Music
KIRK AVERITT
SCHOOL OF THEATRE
Chair of Theatre
JUD WILLIFORD
Director of Production & Design
ADAM ROY
Technical Director
POMAIKAIKEALOHA NAKOA
Middle School Coordinator, Maxwell IB Academy
MARC LECLERC
GENEVIEVE SPINELLA, President
JOHN VAUGHAN, Secretary
MARCY ULRICH, Treasurer
FRANCISCO FIGUEROA
CAROL GREEN
RON GREEN
MARCY ULRICH, Co-Chair
CARRIE WALKER, Co-Chair
JEFFREY RUDERMAN, Vice Chair
DONALD FIFE, Treasurer
TAMI MORAN, Secretary
MICHELLE ALFONSO
JULIANNA EDWARDS
NICHOLE MCCLAM
CHRIS THAYER
KRISTI WAWRO
AMDA College of the Performing Arts
ArtCenter College of Design
ArtNight Pasadena
Azusa Pacific University School of Music
Citrus College
City of Duarte
City of Hope
Descanso Gardens
Duarte Chamber of Commerce
Duarte Kiwanis Club
Duarte Rotary Club
Duarte Teen Center
Duarte Unified School District
Enchanted Dancewear
Grand Park LA
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Laguna College of Art and Design
Los Angeles College of Music
Los Angeles Opera
Monrovia Association of Fine Arts
MUSE/IQUE
Otis College of Art and Design
Pasadena Conservatory of Music
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Whittier College
The CSArts-SGV Foundation is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing financial support to the school.
Thank you to the following individuals who have generously contributed to the CSArts-SGV Foundation. All Foundation gifts and membership contributions provide invaluable support toward important schoolwide initiatives that directly benefit our talented students.
President’s Circle is the CSArts-SGV Foundation’s parent leadership group, which provides guidance and resources to administrative and executive leadership to help shape the future of the school.
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING 2024-2025 PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE MEMBERS:
Heather & Armand Adkins
Mike & Christa Backstrom
The Beam Family
Lisa Brand & Jack Green
Rebecca & Nick Costantino
The Daniels Family
The Dominguez Family
The Gallivan Family
The Gomez Rico Family
Patricia Jazmines & Nicholas Rodriguez
The Jennings Family
The Jones Family
The Killeen Family
Bradley McGavin
Vaibhav & Urvashi Narang
The Pokaski Family
Elizabeth & Mark Power Robison
JoEllen & Andrew Skinner
Kim & Don Tovar
Edenn & Henry Vidrio
Lindsey & Gerard Way
The Zuker-Brunzell Family
List current as of September 1, 2024
Encore is a social membership group that provides special engagement opportunities for our CSArts-SGV families. This close-knit community of parents enjoys exciting benefits and fun social events, all while supporting our incredible student artists.
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING 2024-2025 ENCORE MEMBERS:
Dan & Myleen Altruz
Familia Alvarez-Vázquez
The Arias-Torres Family
Rachelle & Mark Arredondo
Dahlia & Ken Bagnis
Kristin & John Baldrica
Miranda & Rhet Bear
The Bohlman Family
Dan & Nicole Boland
Tricia & Biff Butler
Jessica Cardenas
Rosemary Carrillo
The Cassell Family
Betsy Chapman & Russell Edge
Cintia & Onnie
The Cobian Family
Jen & Jeff Cohen
The Condron Family
The Cooper & Aranda Family
Rebecca & Hector Corona
Austin Davis
The Del Castillo Family
Audrey Espie
Holly & Marc Fantini
The James & Megan Finlay Family
The Fitzgibbons Family
The FitzRandolph Family
The Flores Ortiz Family
Alec Fredericks
The Galvez Family
The Glawe Hartman Family
Bridget Goodbody & Steve Suminski
The Gracia-Lopez Family
Mary Grant & Douglas Harvey
Stefani Greenwood & Serge Monkewitz
Duane & Christina Hardley
The Heintz Family
The Howe Family
The Ketkar Family
Sunny Kim
Erik & Aija Kins
Craig & Laura Kistner
Joshua & Mikell Klinman
The Kyllo Family
Meizi Lin & Justice Lam
The Loera Family
The Lopez-Wang Family
The Mavros-Petty Family
The Morris Family
The Nieberg Family
Nancy Noe
The Noonchesters
Optometry Offices of Dr. Nancy Wang, OD
Amy & Steven Potts
Pierce Powers
Maria Rappaport
The Recalde Family
The Regaert Family
Mary Reichert
The Rubio Family
Saenz de Maturana Family
Bronte & Federico Scarpellini
Sena Serna & Nick Lynch
The Silber Family
Vanessa Silberman & Joe Widman
The Sindelar Family
The Sparks Family
The Stokes Family
The Stratford Family
Teri and Jerred Sullivan
The Surfas Family
The Tallmon-Sandoval Family
The Timothy Husom Family
The Tubbs Family
The Ullerich Family
Roberto & Mariana Valdivia
The Vickrey Family
Carrie & Scott Walker
Catriona & Simon Waters
Williamson Family
Workforce Equity, LLC
Mr. & Mrs. Zavala
List current as of September 27, 2024
RECOGNITION FAMILIES
Thank you to all of our CSArts-SGV families who have contributed this year to their Conservatory Funding Agreement (CFA) in support of their child’s arts conservatory experience. Your contributions specifically support conservatory salaries, facilities, equipment and supplies, performance opportunities, guest artist master teachers, and field trips.
CSArts-SGV families (CFA) experience. contributions conservatory performance opportunities, artist field
If you would like to make a contribution to the CSArts-SGV Foundation in support of our talented student artists, please visit sgv.csarts.net/Donate.
CSArts Academy offers extracurricular arts training to student artists in the community, ages 8-15. Join us for fun and rewarding summer classes!
Join us on our beautiful San Gabriel Valley campus to try a new art form and break out of your comfort zone! Each summer, CSArts Academy offers One-Week Arts Intensives, which provide young artists with a chance to discover new talents, study innovative techniques, or hone their skills in a specific medium.
These week-long summer intensives provide specialized arts training in a multitude of disciplines, including creative writing, dance, theatre, visual arts, and more. Under the guidance of CSArts-SGV’s renowned educators, there are both half-day and full-day class opportunities for students of various levels. Select two different half-day intensives for a week full of creativity, or try a different class each week to form two weeks of fun!
There are even more class options available on the campus of our sister school, Orange County School of the Arts!
To learn more, visit
ACT SING and DANCE with us!
Theatre 360 has trained thousands of students on stage and backstage through classes, workshops, productions, and our New York program, developing their talents and skills into working theatre professionals.
Devon Yates and Theatre 360 has successfully coached our students into acceptance at Julliard, Carnegie Melon, University of Michigan, Yale, Pace, Syracuse and many more. OUR STUDENTS SEE
“Theatre 360 is prepping young actors for the acting world of today. Their skills and knowledge are impressive and ready to conquer the Broadway World ” – James Calleri, Calleri Casting NYC
“They taught me respect, discipline, teamwork, and always to have fun. Without being a part of Theatre 360, I don’t know who I would be today. ”
- Lucy, age 14
Congratulations
C L A S S O F 2 0 2 5
T o m y t a l e n t e d b e s t f r i e n d s ,
T h a n k y o u f o r m a k i n g e v e r y m o m e n t a t C S A r t s a n
a b s o l u t e j o y . E a c h a n d e v e r y o n e o f y o u a r e s o
s p e c i a l t o m e a n d I a m b e y o n d t h a n k f u l t o h a v e
s p e n t m y h i g h s c h o o l y e a r s m a k i n g m e m o r i e s w i t h
y o u a l l . Y o u h a v e m a d e e v e r y l u n c h , c l a s s , l a t e
r e h e a r s a l , a n d s t r e s s f u l t i m e w o r t h i t ! ! I k n o w
w e ’ r e a l l g o i n g t o d o a m a z i n g t h i n g s a f t e r h i g h
s c h o o l a n d I ’ m s o e x c i t e d t o c h e e r f o r e v e r y o n e ,
n o m a t t e r h o w f a r a w a y w e g o . I ’ m h o n o r e d t o
s h a r e m y f i n a l C S A r t s c u r t a i n c a l l w i t h y o u !
Love, Grace Dominguez