A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPALS
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.
ACADEMICS +
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
Darius Milhaud - Suite, Op. 157b for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano
I. Ouverture
II. Divertissement
III. Jeu
IV. Introduction et Final
Aram Khachaturian - Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano
I. Andante con dolore, con molto espressione
II. Allegro
III. Moderato
10 Minute Intermission
Igor Stravinsky - Suite from L’Histoire du Soldat for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano
I. Marche du Soldat
II. Le Violon du Soldat
III. Petit Concert
IV. Tango-Valse-Rag
V. La Danse du Diable
Encore: Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion (arr. José Bragato)
Dr. Sakura
Tsai, violinist and educator, performs nationally and internationally as a soloist and chamber and orchestral musician. She earned degrees (B.M., M.M., and D.M.A.) in violin performance from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music where she was honored with the prestigious Order of Areté and became a member of Pi Kappa Lambda. Her mentors and teachers included Midori Goto, Kathleen Winkler, Hagai Shaham, and Alice Schoenfeld. Additional fields of study while pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree included music theory and analysis, violin pedagogy with Endre Granat, and kinesiology. Dr. Tsai is on faculty at University of Redlands Conservatory of Music where she also serves as Director of the University of Redlands String Project. Additionally, Dr. Tsai teaches at California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley and coaches instrumentalists in the Walnut Valley Unified School District. Dr. Tsai frequently appears as an adjudicator and serves as clinician in schools around Southern California and maintains a robust private studio. She is a member of the Redlands Symphony and the Long Beach Symphony, performs in several regional orchestras, and has spent summers at the Lucerne Festival (Switzerland) and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (Germany) academies, and Music Masters Course Japan (Japan). Dr. Tsai’s solo and ensemble performances have been featured live on TV and radio broadcasts, such as classical KUSC, KRTUFM, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (Germany), and Japan Broadcasting Corporation – NHK (Japan).
An accomplished and versatile artist,
Dr. Micah Wright
,
is an active musician based in Southern California. Dr. Wright has received many national and international musical awards and given solo, chamber, and orchestral performances throughout the United States. He has performed concertos with several ensembles including Rice University’s Shepherd School Symphony, Drake University Symphony Orchestra, Masterworks Festival Orchestra, Meyer Chamber Orchestra, and Des Moines Metro Concert Band. Known for his unique programming, Dr. Wright frequently performs his own arrangements, has premiered many contemporary works, and co-founded several active chamber ensembles including the Aristeia Trio, Syrinx Reed Quintet, and Kaleidoscope Trio. In 2018 and 2024, he was featured as a soloist by the Beverly Hills National Auditions, performing on both clarinet and piano.
Dr. Wright maintains a diverse teaching schedule and is currently on faculty at California Lutheran University, Citrus College, Pierce College, California School of the Arts, Pasadena Conservatory, and Kadima Conservatory. He graduated with academic honors from USC Thornton (D.M.A., 2015), Rice University’s Shepherd School (M.M. 2012), and Drake University (B.M. 2009).
Dr. Esther Yune
has been a distinguished solo and chamber musician since childhood, performing extensively in Korea and the United States. She earned her DMA from the Eastman School of Music and holds BM and MM degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music. Known for her unique tone color and interpretations, Dr. Yune has been featured in concerts across the U.S. and internationally, including performances at Jordan Hall with the NEC Symphony Orchestra, the Hochstein Concert Series in Rochester, NY, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and UKLIM University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Since moving to Southern California in 2003, she has continued to share her musical passion at prestigious venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Norton Simon Museum, the Huntington Library, A Noise Within Theatre, and various university concert halls.
In addition to her performance career, Dr. Yune actively adjudicates for festivals and competitions, including the Southern California Junior Bach Festival, MTAC Branch Festivals, and the Santa Clarita Valley Federation Music Club Junior Music Festival. She serves as the director for the DMA program at World Mission University in Los Angeles, teaches at CSArts San Gabriel Valley, and at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Additionally, Dr. Yune is an active member of the Orange County North Branch of MTAC, where she has served as a recording secretary and currently co-chairs the Branch Honors Recital.
Nutrition?
ADMINISTRATION & LEADERSHIP
ADMINISTRATION
Principal of Arts
STEPHEN COOK, D.M.A.
Principal of Academics
NICOLE READ
Assistant Principal SEAN KERR
Assistant Principal LEON METOYER
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
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!
CONSERVATORY LEADERSHIP
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
BOARDS & PARTNERSHIPS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
GENEVIEVE SPINELLA, President
JOHN VAUGHAN, Secretary
MARCY ULRICH, Treasurer
FRANCISCO FIGUEROA
CAROL GREEN
RON GREEN
FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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
PARTNERSHIPS
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
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
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.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
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
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
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
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 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
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS – SAN GABRIEL VALLEY
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
