CV Relaying Our Stories_Program by Orange County School of the Arts

Orange County Sch l of the Arts Cl a ica l Voice Conservatory proudly presents

Our Stories

WELCOME TO our art song recital, featuring On Stage and Opera Scenes cla es performing song cycles from Western Cla ical Music history, with each student presenting a unique part of the cycle!

APRIL 10-11

KATHY & GARY CONRAD

CHORAL ROOM

DR. DAVID CLEMENSEN, LISA IWAKI, ROBERT NORMAN, DR. RYAN REITHMEIER, INSTRUCTORS

This concert is part of the 2024-2025 Murdy Foundation Concert Season

Dear Friends & Families,

It is my privilege to welcome you to the 2024-2025 performance season at Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA)! I am so honored to introduce this year’s amazing lineup of student performances and events.

This school year marks an exceptional milestone, as OCSA has now resided and flourished in the city of Santa Ana for 25 years! Over the past quarter of a century, the OCSA campus in Santa Ana has seen countless performances and served as the launching pad for thousands of dreams. Our campus has also provided a home away from home for students (and staff!) from Santa Ana and beyond. I cannot wait to see how our legacy within Santa Ana continues to grow and evolve.

As we open yet another exciting chapter in the history of the school, I would like to give a warm welcome to our new Chief Operations Officer, Dr. Gregory Endelman. Not only does he bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position, but he is also a great and caring human being who is ready to do what it takes to help our school be the best it can be for our students and staff.

I am looking forward to partnering with Dr. Endelman, along with our esteemed administrators, faculty, and staff, to take OCSA into this next chapter!

At this time, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to our 2024-2025 corporate season sponsors, Pendry Newport Beach, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Boot Barn, and Yamaha, as well as to our Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors, Emeritus Board, President’s Circle, and Encore members. The continued success of OCSA’s mission would not be possible without their support, leadership, and vision.

Finally, I must acknowledge 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 what we do every single day.

I am thrilled to have you join me in celebrating another impressive performance season. Please enjoy all of the magic OCSA has to offer!

With gratitude,

Teren M. Shaffer President & CEO Orange County School of the Arts

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 1987, the nationally recognized Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) offers a dynamic school culture that enables students to flourish as artists and scholars. The school currently serves a diverse student body of approximately 2,300 students in grades 7-12 from more than 100 cities throughout Southern California.

In addition to offering a challenging college-preparatory academic program that produces high-achieving, motivated scholars, OCSA provides aspiring young artists with the opportunity to refine their skills and flourish in one of 17 arts conservatories. Each year, more than 200 concerts, recitals, staged performances, and exhibitions are presented at a variety of venues in Orange County and throughout the world, providing students with the unique experience of entertaining and inspiring thousands of audience members.

OCSA 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 has impacted many students, molding generations of creative thinkers, leaders, artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

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DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Art Song Cycles are collections of poetry set to music by a single composer. Sometimes the cycles use poems that are originally conceived as a set, and some are collections made by the composer themselves. Some have a narrative through line, and others are a potpourri of stories brought together for a single grouping in song. Most often, a song cycle is sung by a single singer, and accompanied by a single pianist. For tonight’s purpose, we are creating a relay of sorts, with each cycle broken up among singers as individual songs.

The program for these two evenings of recitals is built around building community through storytelling in song. These collections, curated by the class instructors and pianists, reflect art song throughout its history and through poems and song styles that come from a wide range of communities, languages and cultures. Students were assigned to each cycle based on artistry and ability, as well as community and group building aspects to help generate collaboration among the students, as well as partnership with their instructors. The program notes were assembled by the student groups, and reflect their journeys with the individual songs, and their thoughts on larger aspects of telling the story as they pass the story along to the next storyteller to be continued…

THANK YOU

Classical Voice Faculty and Parent Volunteers

Technical support by the Production & Design Conservatory

Director of Classical Voice: Dr. Ryan Reithmeier

Box Office Coordinators: Alyssa Felix Garcia, Alexi McGinness, Nichole Smith

COLLEGE SUCCESS

Emphasizes fundamental operational skills, computational fluency, and problem-solving abilities

Integrates Algebra, Geometry, and Statistics to prepare students for both traditional and Integrated Math courses

Topics beyond our curriculum scope, such as Algebra 2, Trigonometry, or Calculus, are covered under our Homework Support program

HOMEWORK SUPPORT

Ideal for students needing assistance with homework, struggling with specific concepts, or preparing for tests

Offers support for higher-level Mathematics and AP courses

Sessions are student-driven, structured towards specific needs, and focus on the material students bring for support

Dependent on teacher availability and subject matter

Enhances reading fluency, higher-order analysis skills, and overall comprehension

Prioritizes development of advanced critical thinking skills to cultivate confident, proficient readers

Expands knowledge of vocabulary and word meanings

STUDY SKILLS

Enhances academic habits through goal setting, organizational skills, time management, and effective test-taking strategies

Strengthens active reading, listening, outlining, note-taking (including the Cornell method), and study techniques

Tailored for middle to high school demands

Provides extensive customizability to meet individual student needs effectively

Develops the five-step writing process and various writing techniques that make writing assignments more manageable

Stengthens fundamental language skills (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling) that make writing clear and accurate

Provides experience with various essay types: narrative, informative, persuasive, and research

SAT/ACT PREP

Provides teacher-led in-depth instruction on application of best practices, key reasoning skills and test-taking strategies

Access to two student workbooks (Math, English) which provide instruction on test concepts and features, homework, and mixed review practice

Access to SylvanPrep.com, an individualized online component, for one full year

Access to multiple full length practice tests which mimic the conditions of a real test

*SylvanPrep.com can be used as a standalone self-led program (Sylvan Prep Online) *Sylvan Insight Assessment is required for enrollment*

CLASSICAL

VOICE CONSERVATORY PRESENTS

2024-2025

Murdy Foundation Concert Series

DR. DAVID CLEMENSEN, LISA IWAKI, ROBERT NORMAN, DR. RYAN REITHMEIER INSTRUCTORS

DR. DAVID CLEMENSEN, LISA IWAKI PIANO

APRIL 10 - 11, 2025 | 7:00 PM

Kathy and Gary Conrad Choral Room | Orange County School of the Arts

An die ferne Geliebte

L.w. Beethoven 1770-1827

Pianist: Dr. David Clemensen

PROGRAM NOTES:

German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) is renowned for his transformative influence on music history, masterfully conveying profound emotions through his compositions while stylistically shaping the evolution of Western classical melodies. His iconic vocal works being the opera Fidelio and song cycle An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98 exemplify his pioneering transition between the Classical and Romantic eras. Beethoven’s pieces continue to influence musicians around the world and are often regarded as some of the greatest musical achievements of his time.

In the song cycle An die ferne Geliebte, the narrator voices his feelings of longing for his beloved. At the beginning of the collection, the speaker describes his loved one with whom he has been physically separated from for years. With great mountains and valleys between them, he spends his days sitting and looking out towards nature as he yearns for his sweetheart. Throughout the song cycle, the narrator experiences a multitude of varied emotions ranging from his unequivocal desire for love to a profound sense of sadness. Using soaring melodies of emotion, harmonic shifts, and expressive phrasing, Beethoven captures the longing feelings that come with true devotion. The connection between gentle passages and dramatic sections mirrors the emotional highs and lows of the narrator’s journey, reaffirming An die ferne Geliebte as a deeply moving and immersive musical experience.

Auf dem Hügel sitz’ ich spähend

Wo die Berge so blau

Leichte Segler in den Höhen

Diese Wolken in den Höhen

Michael Ma

Alana Liang

Grace Wei

Kelley Gou

Es kehret der Maien, es blühet die Au’ Asmi Aggar wal Nimm sie dann

Willow Wu

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La Bestiaire (ou Cortège d’Orphée)

Pianist: Lisa Iwaki

Francis Poulenc 1899-1963

PROGRAM NOTES:

French composer Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) was famous for his witty, charming, and playful music. As part of the group “Les Six”, he helped shape 20th-century French music with his simple yet expressive style. His song cycle Le Bestiaire (1919), set to poems by Guillaume Apollinaire, is one of his earliest works and shows his talent for turning words into music with humor and clarity. While Poulenc wasn’t always seen as a revolutionary during his lifetime, his music is now loved for its unique charm and creativity.

Le Bestiaire features six short songs, each about a different animal, like the graceful “Dromedary” or the sad “Carp.” The poems are quirky and imaginative, and Poulenc’s music matches their tone perfectly. The piano parts are light and simple, letting the voice shine and bringing the animals to life. The songs are short but full of personality, mixing humor with a touch of mystery. Like Massenet’s “En Fermant Les Yeux,” Le Bestiaire captures a moment of beauty, but in a more playful and modern way. It’s a fun and charming piece that shows why Poulenc’s music remains so beloved.

Le dromadaire

La chèvre du Thibet

La sauterelle

Le dauphin

L’écrevisse

La carpe

Yewon Jang

Angel Shen

Sean Kang

Taylor Pham

Nicole Liu

Lindsey Liu

Frauenliebe und Leben Schumann 1810-1853

Pianist: Dr. David Clemensen

PROGRAM NOTES:

Robert Schumann (June 8, 1810 - July 29, 1856) - Robert Schumann was a German Romantic composer renowned particularly for his piano music, Lieder (songs), and orchestral music. Romantic Era music (roughly 1820-1900) is characterized by expressive melodies, rich harmonies, and an emphasis on personal emotion and individualism, with a broader range of sounds achieved through expanded musical forms and orchestration. Melodies were often lyrical and flowing and featured a wide range of dynamics (loudness and softness). Romantic era music was performed with flexibility in tempo, with some parts speeding up and slowing down to heighten the expression of emotion. Schumann’s songs were characterized by a focus on expressing complex psychological processes and emotions. Many of Schumann’s best-known piano pieces were written for his wife, the pianist Clara Schumann. Schumann was also a music critic and published a music magazine called Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Journal for Music).

Seit ich ihn gesehen

Er, der herrlichste von Allen

Ich kann’s nicht fassen, nicht glauben

Du Ring an meinem Finger

Helft mir, ihr Schwestern

Susser Freund

An meinen Herzen, an meiner Brust

Alana Wu

Iva Liu

Bella Hwang

Mikah Toyama

Alex Reyes

Ar ya Sopory

Vicky Li

Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan Sahasra Nemana

La bonne cuisine Leonard Bernstein 1918-1990 Pianist: Dr. David Clemensen

PROGRAM NOTES:

American Composer, Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was known famously for his fun and unique melodies. Two of his most recognized works being “West Side Story” and “I Hate Music: A cycle of Five Kid Songs for Soprano and Piano.” Though he is known for his iconic Broadway hits, he also created some amazing art songs and a one act opera. He is one of the most influential composers of modern American music.

In the art song “Plum Pudding” the singer is telling the audience how to make Plum Pudding. The singer is showing the ingredients that make up the delicious pudding. This song is a recipe for people to try. Eliza Tait

In “Queues de Boeuf,” the singer is expressing their love of cooking and their special connection to oxtail stew. The recipe represents the many ties that can be made between friends, strangers, and even lovers. The character in this piece is conveying that there’s a specific way to approach preparing this stew, which is inferred from the text and melodic line. In this song, the character is singing about how oxtail stew is meant to be shared and not kept selfishly to one’s self. Madison Becerra

The art song “Tavouk Gueunksis” by Leonard Bernstein is known for its distinctive rhythmic and melodic patterns. Representing Bernstein’s playful and experimental side, the song explores the process of making tavouk gueunksis and mahailebi, which are unique Middle Eastern desserts that incorporate unusual ingredients, such as chicken breast. This song holds special significance for the singer, who is Turkish and grew up enjoying these dishes, adding a personal connection to the performance. Lal Besir

Rabbit at Top Speed follows a very frantic protagonist, trying to make a rabbit stew as fast as possible. This recipe isn’t the easiest to follow and the fervid tempo continues throughout the entire piece. Diction is one of the main emphasises in this song, keeping every word understandable is a very important part of this song as well as the rhythm of the melodic line compared to piano line which is at sometimes sparse and filled with accidentals The melody also has many disjointed parts in the beginning and there are very few repeated motifs in the song. As the finale of the song cycle, this song is more upbeat, like the first. It works to sandwich the slower songs in the middle. Nikki Smith

Plum Pudding

Ox-tail Stew

Tavouk Gueunksis

Rabbit at Top Speed

Eliza Tait

Madison Becerra

Lal Besir

Nikki Smith

Poema en forma de canciones

Pianist: Lisa Iwaki

Joaquin Turina 1899-1963

PROGRAM NOTES:

Joaquín Turina was a Spanish composer who blended traditional Andalusian folk elements with Western classical forms, contributing to the Early 20th Century Musical Renaissance. Born in Sevilla, Spain (1882) and later active in Madrid, he sought to preserve Spanish folk heritage while incorporating modern harmonic and textural innovations. His works, such as Sinfonía Sevillana, Danzas Fantásticas, and La Oración del Torero, reflect Andalusian rhythms, vibrant orchestration, and Impressionist influences. A graduate of the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música, Turina played a key role in establishing Spanish music within the broader concert repertoire, ensuring its accessibility to contemporary audiences.

Joaquín Turina composed Poema en forma de canciones in 1917 and later dated the work to 1918. Turina writes this cycle by getting inspiration from the poetry of Ramón de Campoamor. Joaquín Turina chose Ramón de Campoamor’s poetry for Poema en forma de canciones because of the journey of love and human emotion that closely resonated with his compositions. This gave Turina the freedom to express his artistic sensibilities through the musical setting for these texts. In Nunca Olvida, the protagonist embarks on a poignant journey through the stages of love and grief. He comes to the profound realization that he loves a woman with an all-consuming passion. Though she returns his affection, her love lacks the same intensity, leaving him yearning for something she cannot fully reciprocate. Cantares transforms this emotional turmoil into a dance—here, the woman becomes the embodiment of flamenco itself, leading him on in a mesmerizing yet elusive rhythm. In Los Dos Miedos, the narrative delves into the duality of the protagonist’s fears: the dread of someone becoming deeply attached to him, and the equally haunting fear of losing them as a lover. Finally, in Las Locas Por Amor, he arrives at a bittersweet resolution—concluding the cycle with a vibrant declaration that love, no matter how brief, is always worth experiencing.

Nunca olvida…

Cantares

Los dos miedos

Las locas por amor

Zaid Salazar

Jaden Yoo

William Yu

Estella (Sky) Keyoung

Old American Songs (set 2)

Lisa Iwaki piano

Aaron Copland 1900-1990

PROGRAM NOTES:

Aaron Copland was born in New York, the son of immigrants. He loved music and was taught to play the piano by his sister. He studied in Paris under Nadia Boulanger and he quickly was noticed by her, becoming her first American student. Once his studies were completed he came back to the states. He wrote jazz, classical, musical theater, etc. He even composed ballets and scores for movies. He expressed his love for music through his compositions and teaching till the day he died in 1990.

Old American Songs, Set 2, was created after the success of the first song cycle. Copland’s second song cycle expresses the style of old American culture, highlighting the styles of that time. He wanted a very distinct “American” sound because he noticed while traveling that nobody sang this style of music often. The four songs within the cycle discuss a theme of community, hope, and dreaming.

The Little Horses

Zion’s Walls

The Golden Willow Tree

At the River

Mia Stewart

Reese Guenther-Clark

Leila Woodward

Sydney Sublette

Old American Songs (set 1)

Dr. David Clemensen, piano

PROGRAM NOTES:

Aaron Copland 1900-1990

Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was an American composer largely known for being part of the Americana nationalistic school, which was known for promoting patriotism and a national identity through song. He often took inspiration from American folk elements and combined them with jazz to create uniquely American compositions. He wrote ballets such as Appalachian Spring and Billy the Kid, and wrote the opera The Tender Land. He is known as the “Dean of American music” for his influence in American classical music.

Old American Songs, Set 1. The song cycle takes inspiration from hymns, minstrel songs, folk songs. “The Dodger” Libretto Based on a Library of Congress recording by Mrs. Emma Dusenberry of Mena, Arkansas (October 15 1846, August 14 1898 Michigan). “Long Time Ago” was written by George Pope, an American writer.(October 1802 New York, June 1864 Pennsylvania). “Simple Gifts” was written by Elder Joseph Brackett (1797-1882) who was a Shaker and wrote it to be a dancing song for traditional Shaker melodies. It was meant to be easy to learn in order to unite the community in worship and dance. “I Bought Me a Cat” is based off of a children’s books, he made this song in his Old American Songbook which was made to teach children rhythm and melody (1950-1952)

The Dodger Mona George Long Time Ago

Natalia Caraveo Simple Gifts

Ella Mor tensen I Bought Me a Cat Paige Morgan

Ciclo de Canciones Infantiles Jaime León Ferro 1921-2015

Pianist: Lisa Iwaki

PROGRAM NOTES:

Hailing from Colombia, Jaime León (1921 - 2015) was a notable composer of modern Latin America folk song. Some of his song cycles include The four villancicos (1977) and Las canciones de Pequeña, Pequeñita (1987), which is the song cycle El muñeco dormilón comes from!

This song cycle tells a story about themes of childhood, from the perspectives of both children and their parents. El muñeco dormilón is sung from the point of view of a mother named Maria, telling her son a fable from her own childhood. However, as she sings, the song sounds more like a playful warning towards her son against misbehavior. Throughout the song cycle, Maria can be seen caring and worrying over her children (El muñeco dormilón, Viaje, La tunda para el negrito), as her children sing their own songs, expressing the thoughts and feelings of their own imaginative, adolescent worlds (Pequeña pequeñita, Caballito de madera).

Pequeña pequeñita

El muñeco dormilón

Viaje

Caballito de madera

La tunda para el negrito

El Columpio

Sophie Zeng

Syd Malone

Brooklyn Corona

Ashton Or tega-Fosado

Baani Singh

Tati Tauanuu

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Songs of Travel

Pianist: Dr. David Clemensen

Ralph Vaughan Williams

1872-1958

PROGRAM NOTES:

Ralph Vaughan Williams, an English born composer, was born into a well off family, and developed an interest in music fairly late into his life, discovering his love for the arts in his late 30s inspired by his studies with French composer Maurice Ravel. He is best known for his symphonies, such as The Lark Ascending or Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, though he was also a prolific composer for voice. One of his song cycles, the Songs of Travel, puts a collection of poems also named Songs of Travel, by Robert Louis Stevenson, to music. This collection of poems describes the journey of a man through his life through the years, starting off as an angry young man set on a journey through the world, and ending with his resigning that he is old now, and he calls upon his younger years and how he was happy with the life he lived.

The Vagabond

Let Beauty Awake

The Roadside Fire

Youth and Love

In Dreams

The Infinite Shining Heavens

Whither Must I Wander?

Bright is the Ring of Words

Henr y Chung

Alec Or tega-Fosado

Henr y Courtney

Jack Wilson

James (Grant) Conroy

Garrett Wirth

Mat thew Henderson

Vincent Lu

I have trod the upward and the downward slope Paxton Wong

Six Elizabethan Songs Dominick Argento 1927-2019

Lisa Iwaki piano

PROGRAM NOTES:

The American composer, Dominick Argento (1927-2019), was best known for his operas, choral works, and arts songs, being a strong contributor to 20th-century contemporary classical music. His work has strong influences of Neo-Romanticism and Lyricism, blending traditional classical forms with contemporary styles as he incorporates literature and poetry from centuries past. Argento’s most famous pieces include Postcard from Morocco (an opera), Casa Guidi (song cycle), and his Pulitzer-prize winning song cycle

From the Diary of Virginia Woolf.

Spring

Sleep

Winter

Dirge

Diaphenia

Hymn

Audrey Stephenson

Carleigh Beckner

Sofie Dooley

Hannah Kaye

Tess Sacher

Juliet te Eitel

Gypsy Songs (Op. 55)

Pianist: Dr. David Clemensen

Antonin Dvořák 1841-1904

PROGRAM NOTES:

Dvořák was a Czech, Classical-Romantic composer who brought a variety of music to his audience, such as traditional Romi songs to the Czech Republic and African-American spirituals to the US. His other major works include his Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 “New World Symphony” and his String Quartet No. 12 “The American”. He grew up in Czeriza and at the time Romanie people were very repressed and even Dvorak suffered from Agoraphobia which meant he was scared to leave the environment he knew or put himself in uncertain situations. Thus his music exhibits very romantic notions of life and death and carries beautiful dramatic melodies. Throughout many of his pieces, he integrates aspects of Czech nationalism and folk music, while also taking inspiration from the work of Wagner and encouraging others to create their own music dedicated to their homelands..

Initially composed in German at the request of Vienna tenor, Hofoper Gustav Walter, the set was not well received by the press until verses in Czech and English were added. Afterwards, the songs became widely popular, particularly “Songs My Mother Taught Me”. The “Gypsy Song” cycle revolves around the Romani people of Czechoslovakia. The song cycle aims to imitate traditional folk songs, particularly in the melody line. It follows a Romanian girl who lives through real situations of war, loss, and freedom. We explore her life through this cycle in chronological order as if she was telling the story to keep memory alive.

My song of love

Ei! Ring Out My Triangle

Here in the Wood

Songs My Mother Taught Me

Set the Fiddles Scraping

Flowing Sleeve and Trouser

Cloudy Heights of Tatra

Celine Cur tis

Hope Bradley

Tif fany Carr

Olivia Bullock

Amber Bach

Lavinia Watkins

Leah Navarro

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Photo: Courtney

ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

The Murdy Foundation Concerts Season Announcement 2024-2025

MOZART’S LE NOZZE DI FIGARO

CLASSICAL VOICE CONSERVATORY CHORAL

CONCERT SEASON

October 8

December 12

March 5

May 2

ORIGINAL STORY BY ROBERT NORMAN

December 6 & 7

CLASSICAL VOICE

VOCAL FORUM

MONTHLY RECITAL AND MASTER CLASS SERIES:

FEATURING CLASSES WITH

• DR. MARC CALLAHAN (CHAPMAN)

• DR. JONI PRADO (CSUF)

• MICHELLE GORDON (SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST)

• ALISON ENGLAND

• AMONG OTHERS

PUCCINI’S MADAMA BUTTERFLY

PARTNERSHIP WITH PARNASSUS SOCIETY

March 1

PERFORMING IN FOUR DIFFERENT VENUES:

25 April 22 April 25

THE DIRK FAMILY VOICE LESSON SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

TUITION-FREE VOICE LESSONS, MASTER AND STUDIO CLASSES.

INSTRUCTORS

• ALYSSA WILLS

• ROBERT NORMAN

MICHAEL F. HARRAH SYMPHONY HALL, KATHY AND GARY CONRAD CHORAL ROOM, NEW SONG CHURCH, AND SOKA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER TICKET INFORMATION: BOXOFFICE.OCSARTS.NET

ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

About the Classical Voice Conservatory

CONSERVATORY OVERVIEW

The Classical Voice Conservatory is designed as a college-preparatory program focused on vocal arts, ideal for young singers who are passionate about vocal expression and interested in the world of classical singing. Modeled after wellestablished collegiate programs from across the nation, the curriculum provides the perfect balance of performance, academic music, and industry-related courses. Students are immersed in the fundamental elements of music for both solo and ensemble singing and are introduced to what it takes to be a classical singer in today’s industry. Students benefit from the expertise of the Classical Voice faculty of professionals, most of whom hold a master’s degree in music and/or possess more than 10 years of experience in the professional music industry.

RYAN REITHMEIER, D.M.A. Director

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES

The Classical Voice Conservatory has recently launched a partnership with the Metropolitan Opera’s MET Live in Schools initiative, which exposes students in grades 10-12 to MET Live in HD broadcasts, private interviews with MET artists and staff, and access to the MET’s rich online resources. Classical Voice is also unique in that its leadership has access to an advisory committee made up of industry professionals teaching in the collegiate setting. Members include Ann Baltz, leading opera educator; Ken Cazan, Resident Stage Director at USC Thornton Opera; Jonathan Talberg, Director of Choral Activities at the Bob Cole Conservatory; and Jessica Rivera, Grammy Award-winning opera singer. Each year, a limited number of scholarships for private vocal coaching are offered exclusively to Classical Voice students, to supplement their conservatory training.

PAST GUEST ARTISTS AND MASTER TEACHERS

Roberta Alexander Brian Asawa

Ann Baltz Angela Maria Blasi

Ken Cazan Rod Gilfry

Susan Graham Nathan Gunn

Jake Heggie Milena Kitic

Brent McMunn Cheryl Studer

Davóne Tines Deborah Voigt

Frederica von Stade Dolora Zajick

Delores Ziegler

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Dr. Ryan Reithmeier is regarded as a versatile singer/actor who has performed leading baritone roles from a range of genres, including works of Mozart, 20thcentury operas, and musical theatre. He completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal arts and opera at the USC Thornton School of Music with highest honors and was awarded the Opera Award upon graduation. As a baritone soloist, he has nearly 30 roles to his credit. His many concert performances have included roles from: Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, The Requiems of Brahms, Fauré and Duruﬂé, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs and Fantasia on a Christmas Carol, Handel’s Messiah, and numerous cantatas of J.S. Bach in addition to Magniﬁcat and Ich habe genug. He has appeared in concert with prestigious organizations including Pacific Symphony, Pacific Opera Project, Corona Symphony, Opera a La Carte, Parnassus Society, St. John’s, Orange Concert Series, Opera San Luis Obispo, and others.

Dr. Reithmeier is a two-time winner of the Beverly Hills National Consortium Auditions, a winner of the NATS-LA Gwendolyn Roberts Auditions, and a Western-Regional finalist in the NATS-Artist Award competition. Before becoming the Director of Orange County School of the Arts’ Classical Voice Conservatory, he served on the vocal faculty at Azusa Pacific University.

SCHOOL, FOUNDATION & CONSERVATORY LEADERSHIP

SCHOOL

President & CEO

Teren Shaffer

Chief Operations Officer

Gregory Endelman, Ed.D.

Principal

Michael Ciecek

Assistant Principal of Instruction

Kimberly Barraza Lyons, Ph.D.

Assistant Principal of Student Services

Becca Freeland

Assistant Principal of Arts

Maria Lazarova, D.M.A.

Assistant Principal of Student Supervision

Abbe Levine

Director of Special Services

Lauren Reynolds

Learning Specialist

Shelley Stanphill

FOUNDATION

Vice President of Communications

Kelly Andrews

Vice President of Development

Elizabeth Ton

CONSERVATORY

Director of Productions

Eric Hamme

SCHOOL OF APPLIED ARTS

Arts & Enterprise

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Mekjian Family Culinary Arts & Hospitality

Daniel Mattos, Chef Director

SCHOOL OF DANCE

Ballet & Contemporary Dance

Steven B. Hyde, Director

Ballet Folklórico Dance

Marlene Peña-Marin, Director

Ballroom Dance

Robert Porch, Director

Commercial Dance

Nicole Berger, Director

SCHOOL OF FINE & MEDIA ARTS

Creative Writing

Joshua Wood, Director

Martin & Cynthia Howard

Design & Media

Patrick Williams, Director

Film & Television

Aaron Orullian, Director

Integrated Arts

Charna Lopez, Director

Cassandra Foster, Conservatory Manager

Visual Arts

Paige Oden, Director

Randy Au, Assistant Director

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Classical Voice

Ryan Reithmeier, D.M.A., Director

Instrumental Music

Sarkis Baltaian, D.M.A., Director

Pianist Program

Strings & Orchestra Program

John Reynolds, D.M.A., Director

The Garn Family Jazz Studies Program

Frederick Fennell Wind Studies Program

Nicholaus Yee, D.M.A., Coordinator

Strings & Orchestra Program

Popular Music

Natasha Pasternak, Director

SCHOOL OF THEATRE

El-Erian Family Acting

John Walcutt, Director

Donald Amerson, Conservatory Manager

Musical Theatre

Ryan Miller, Director

Amelia Barron, Conservatory Manager

Production & Design

Kelly Marie Pate, Director

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Officers

Paul Satkin, Chair

Gary Humphreys, Secretary

Members

Hon. Halim Dhanidina (Ret.)

Vincent Foley, Jr.

Jessica Herthel

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers

Jason Herthel, Chair

Teren Shaffer, President & CEO

Jennifer Sternshein, Secretary

Michael Laven, Treasurer

Hon. Halim Dhanidina (Ret.), Board of Trustees Representative

Jennie Johanson-Maya, Vice Chair, Public Relations & Marketing

Eoin L. Kreditor, J.D., Vice Chair, Legacy Giving

Kimberley Lakes, Ph.D., Vice Chair, Human Capital

Christine Walker-Bowman, Vice Chair, Finance

Directors

Lisa Argyros

Jim Bergman

Lisa Brennan

Miaad Bushala

Bruce E. Chapman

Jim Conroy

Julia Feldman

Lamia Gabal, M.D.

Julie Garn

Jason Gwin

Gillian Hayes, Ph.D.

Steven Ho

Martin Howard

Michael Le, M.D.

Lee Runnels

Don Steiner

EMERITUS BOARD

Julia Argyros

John Daniels

Sandy Segerstrom Daniels

Mohamed El-Erian

Brad Ellis, J.D.

Maria Newkirk Fong

John Gates

Carol Green

Jerry Mandel

Michal Mekjian, Jr.

James “Walkie” Ray

Judy Sabbagh

Susan Samueli, Ph.D.

Janice Frey Smith

Kate St. Clair

Russell Stern

John Vestri

Scott Woolsey

In Memoriam

Paul Folino

Doug Garn

Sebastian Paul Musco

Lew Webb

The OCSA Foundation is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing financial support to the school The Foundation accomplishes this through individual contributions (in addition to families’ annual Conservatory Funding Agreements); membership support and social groups, including Encore; corporate sponsorships; special events; foundation grants; legacy giving; capital campaigns; and community engagement programs and classes.

All Foundation gifts and membership contributions provide invaluable support toward important schoolwide initiatives that directly benefit our talented students.

SEASON SPONSORS

Thank you to the following 2024-2025 President’s Circle members:

Armi and Ron Abiera

Cheryl Alderson and Charles Dominguez

Courtney and James Banaag

Autumn and Frank Bignami

Alyson and Alfredo Cartagena

Kara and Rob Casola

Kathy and William Chang

Joy Chao and Jason Lee

Arpi and Bobby Charlu

Julia and Lewis Cho

Gretchen and Jim Conroy

Michelle and Tim Danaher

Neeti and Sandeep Dang

Saranya and Halim Dhanidina

Malisa and Kanwal Duggal

Julia Feldman and Ryan Malone

Sally and Dan Fleet

Laura Forbes and Mike Huntley

Betsy and Luke Freiler

Lamia Gabal and Charlie Wilcoxson

Stacy and Jason Gwin

Sameena and Ali Habib

Allison and Brian Herman

Jason and Jessica Herthel

Jennie Johanson-Maya and Sal Maya

Karen Kim and Spencer Ho

Annu Khemka and Maneesh Goyal

Cheryl and Michael Laven

Debbie and Bonaparte Liu

Sherry and Paul Main

Greg McCollum and Jeff Van Hoosear

Matt and Diana McCutchen

Maeesha Merchant and Gaurav Diwan

Jessica Miley and Alejandro Brubaker

Tita Nguyen and Michael Le

Rose Paguirian-Steiner and Don Steiner

Allison and Jim Panetta

Amy Parekh and Jay Shah

Brad Pivar and Rod Escobedo

Ami and Rakesh Puvvada

Alexis and Julian Recana

Catey and Chris Reese

Trilby and Michael Robinson-Dorn

Melissa and Jeffrey Ruderman

Anna Schlotzhauer and Jim Bergman

Jennifer and Brad Smith

Karen Smith and Jay Jerrier

Mohini and Vip Soni

Jeannette and John Soumbasakis

Lisa Stevens Wegner and Jed Stevens

Rina Stinson

Kim and Bert Tavares

Mei Tsang and Steve Brown

Ivy Wang and Patryk Symchych

Courtney and Andrew Wittkop

Manuella and Michael Yassa

Michelle and Gary Yoshino

Sandy and David Young

Jinny and Ed Yun

Thank you to the following 2024-2025 Season Sponsors:

Thank you to the following 2024-2025 Encore members:

Armi and Ron Abiera

Acting Conservatory Mom

Anonymous

Justin Aragon and Laura Boysen-Aragon

Ms. Jyothi Atluri

The Bailey Family

James and Courtney Banaag

Edgar and Julie Barajas

Team Bignami

The Bittel Family

Ronald and Dawne Both

Lisa and Jack Brennan

Christe Bruderlin

The Bullock Family

Dr. Alyson and Alfredo Cartagena

The Casola Family

Kathy and William Chang

Joy Chao and Jason Lee

Arpi and Bobby Charlu

Tim and Rita Chen

Julia and Lewis Cho

Vincent and Karla Chung

Cogswell Design Inc.

Dr. Gretchen and Mr. James Conroy

Kristy Crownover

CV Programs

The Dale Family

Tim and Michelle Danaher

Neeti and Sandeep Dang

Ramit and Rakhi Dayal

The Deutschman Family

The Dhanidina Family

Joe and Jessica DiPenta

The Dominguez Family

Isabel Dong

Kyle and Courtney Duff

Malisa and Kanwal Duggal

The Elder Family

Dr. & Mrs. Gregory and Lisa Endelman

The Engle Family

Julia Feldman and Ryan Malone

Sally and Dan Fleet

Laura Forbes and Mike Huntley

Luke and Betsy Freiler

Lamia Gabal and Charlie Wilcoxson

Kim Gangnes

Byron and Raquel Gillen

The Goodemote Family

The Gourley Family

Apra and Rahul Gupta

Mala and Neeraj Gupta

Brandi and Javier Gutierrez

Jason and Stacy Gwin

Sameena and Ali Habib

Aurora He

The Herman Family

Jason and Jessica Herthel

Stacey and Justin Hill

Andy and Gracie Hinton

Scott Holty and Emilie Albert

Angela Huang

Cindy Hughes and Paul Schmidhauser

The Idriss Family

Ivie-Valle Family - IN This House Love Rules

Jenii Jacobson

Jennie Johanson-Maya and Sal Maya

Angela Kent

David and Sara Kerrane

Andrew and Chinyee Keyoung

Annu Khemka and Maneesh Goyal

Karen Kim and Spencer Ho

Kevin and Kelly Kelley

Barbara and Keith Kuntz

Jason and Susan Lai

Cheryl and Michael Laven

Rosemarie and Michael Le Coz

My Lee

The Lee Family

Scott and Susan Lee

The Liu Family

Debbie and Bonaparte Liu

Kevin and Louise Lloyd

The Ly-Pang Family

Jay and Danielle Madison

Molly Mahoney and John Dominguez

Paul and Sherry Main

Greg McCollum and Jeff Van Hoosear

Matt and Diana McCutchen

Paul Mendoza

Maeesha Merchant and Gaurav Diwan

Val and Larry Miles

Jessica Miley and Alejandro Brubaker

The Mitras

Olga, Geoff, and Avery Mizrahi

Moon’s Family

Yvonne Naranjo

Tita Nguyen and Michael Le

Niu Family of FTV

The Oh Family

The Ortiz Family

Molly Ortwein

Rosemarie Paguirigan-Steiner and Don Steiner

Jim and Allison Panetta

The Parekh Shah Family

Oscar and Jessica Parra

The Passalacqua Family

The Pennor Family

Peters Architecture Inc.

The Pivar-Escobedo Family

Rakesh and Ami Puvvada

The Ransford Family

Hon. Julian and Alexis Recana

Chris and Catey Reese

Mr. and Mrs. Carlos and Nancy Reyes

Savalai and Brent Ridley

Trilby and Michael Robinson-Dorn

Logan and Carol Ross

The Rossfeld Family

Melissa and Jeff Ruderman

Anna Schlotzhauer and Jim Bergman

The Schultz Family

David and Tina Sidoni

Bandana and Jolly Singh

Brad and Jennifer Smith

Karen Smith and Jay Jerrier

Mo and Vip Soni

Lisa Stevens Wegner and Jed Wegner

Rina Stinson

John and Jeannette Soumbasakis

Patryk Symchych and Ivy Wang

Kim and Bert Tavares

Elliot Tong

The Truong/Kondo Family

Mei Tsang and Steve Brown

Reagan Vallejo

Michael and Nicole Vicioso

The Vik Family

The Villanueva Family Foundation

The Vitta Kama Family

The Voros Family

The Weaver Family

Courtney and Andrew Wittkop

Parents of David Wong (CW, ‘26)

Brenda Wooding and Eric Adler

Brian Yan’s Family

Michael and Manuella Yassa

Michelle and Gary Yoshino

Drs. Edward and Jinny Yun

The Zazik Family

UNLOCK LEGAL

Professional License Defenders

We Represent All Licensed Professionals

• Doctors

• Chiropractors

• Physical Therapists

• Nurses

2,000+

• Teachers

• Contractors

• Social Workers

• Insurance agents/brokers

Unlock Legal is a law firm that provides representation specifically to California professionals who are facing the loss of their healthcare, real estate, or other professional license—and therefore their livelihood. If your license is under threat or suspension because you have been charged with a crime, we will represent you in the state courts.

• Real Estate agents/ brokers

• and many more

The goal of Students First: A Capital Campaign is to create an enhanced campus environment that will benefit the entire OCSA community.

Thank you to the following individuals and organizations who have donated in support of this transformational campaign:

Acting Conservatory Families, Class of 2025

Anonymous

Julia and George Argyros

Lisa Argyros

Albert and Miaad Bushala

The Cha Family

Dr. Gretchen and Mr. James Conroy

The DeVoe Family

DevTo Support Foundation

The Dhanidina Family

The Dirk Family

El-Erian Family Foundation

Roberta Estrin

Farmers & Merchants Bank

The Garn Family

The Harold Struck Charitable Fund

Shelley and Steven Ho

The Larry and Helen Hoag Foundation

Martin and Cynthia Howard / Howard CDM

Chinyee and Dr. J. Andrew Keyoung

N&D Kim Family

Tina and Eoin Kreditor / Cleo A Bluth Charitable Foundation

Dr. Kimberley Lakes and Dr. James Kay

Cheryl and Michael Laven

Hsueh Chun Lo

The Malone Family

Jennifer and Paul Meyhoefer

Mrs. Tita Nguyen, Esq. and Dr. Michael Le

Ryan and Jin O’Grady

The Park Family

Debbie and Joe Rogoff

Samueli Foundation

Anna Schlotzhauer and Jim Bergman

Karen Smith and Jay Jerrier

The Sternshein Family

The Tioleco-Cheng Malabarba Family

Ryan and Nicole Warne-McGraw

The Wegner Family

Michelle and Gary Yoshino

If you are interested in supporting the OCSA Foundation, please reach out to Vice President of Development Elizabeth Ton at elizabeth.ton@ocsarts.net or visit www.ocsarts.net/DonateNow

Special Thanks To Our Families

Thank you to all of our OCSA families who have contributed this year through the 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.

We can’t make the OCSA magic happen without you!

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Pendry Newport Beach is proud to be a sponsor of the Orange County School of the Arts.

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WHEREVER THE FUTURE TAKES YOU

MAKE YOURSELF HEARD

CREATE ENRICHING OPPORTUNITIES

The Hearts for the Arts campaign provides additional support for arts conservatory needs beyond each conservatory’s annual budget. Donations help to fund special equipment and supplies, performances, ﬁeld trips, and other arts enrichment opportunities for our talented OCSA students.

HELP STUDENTS IN NEED

The Artist Scholar Sponsorship Program supports economically disadvantaged students who attend OCSA. Donations help to fund the arts conservatory portion of their school day and ensure they have access to the full OCSA experience, including yearbooks, technology, school supplies, and more.

PROVIDE GUEST ARTIST EXPERIENCES

The Master Artist Series supports high-proﬁle visiting artists who create meaningful experiences for our student artists. Donations help to bring master artists and industry leaders to OCSA’s campus to share their career stories and expertise with students through residencies, master classes, lectures, and performances.

CSArts Academy offers extracurricular arts courses to student artists of various ages from throughout the community. Join us for fun and rewarding classes in the fall, spring, or summer!

FALL SATURDAY SERIES

Classes begin September 21, 2024

Registration opens in late August

SPRING SATURDAY SERIES

FALL SATURDAY SERIES SPRING

SPRING

Classes begin February 22, 2025

Registration opens in January

Classes begin July 7, 2025

Registration opens in January

BECOME A SPONSOR!

Promote your business at a speciﬁc conservatory performance or throughout the entire conservatory season! Hear your company’s name announced from the stage, promote your brand to a loyal target audience, and receive complimentary tickets!

$2,500 PER CONSERVATORY PERFORMANCE SEASON

BENEFITS

•Recognition in conservatory-speciﬁc promotional materials and communications

•Customized speech from the stage at select performances in your conservatory’s season*

•Two (2) complimentary tickets to each performance** in your conservatory’s season

•Recognition on OCSA’s Digital Donor Wall in the Tower Lobby, Center for the Arts Lobby, and DMS Lobby

$1,000 PER SPECIFIC CONSERVATORY PERFORMANCE

BENEFITS

•Recognition in conservatory-speciﬁc promotional materials and communications

•Customized speech from the stage at your selected conservatory performance*

•Two (2) complimentary tickets to your selected conservatory performance**

•Recognition on OCSA’s Digital Donor Wall in the Tower Lobby, Center for the Arts Lobby, and DMS Lobby

PROCEEDS WILL DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE CONSERVATORY OF YOUR CHOICE!

To view a list of upcoming performances, please visit www.ocsarts.net/BoxOfﬁce.

*Also applicable to conservatory-speciﬁc events.

**Some exclusions may apply, including special events and performances at outside venues.

Support from businesses directly impacts the transformational education and creative opportunities provided for our students.

Current OCSA Families: Please note that donations from businesses to this campaign cannot be allocated toward your Conservatory Funding Agreement (CFA). All OCSA families are encouraged to contribute the requested amount toward their child’s conservatory through the CFA prior to supporting other OCSA initiatives.

To secure your Spotlight Sponsorship, please contact Greg McCollum, Director of Corporate & Business Relations, at gregory.mccollum@ocsarts.net or 714.560.0900 ext. 6616

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) proudly offers a wide range of professional-level performance groups comprised of inspiring student artists from the school’s many arts conservatories. Make your private, corporate, or charity function more special by featuring a select group of OCSA’s bright and talented students!

Our extensive variety of repertoire is completely customizable. Choose the group that best meets the needs of your event and budget!

Ballet folklórico dancers

Ballroom dancers

Classical singers

Commercial dancers

Instrumental musicians

MONTAGE! performance ambassadors

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BEACH CLEAN-UP

WHAT IS KIWIN’S?

CNH KIWIN’S (California, Nevada, Haiwaii), similar to its KEY CLUB counterparts, is an student-led club that stretches among multiple schools, including OCSA. This club promotes a sense of community and allows students easy access to various COMMUNITY SERVICE events. Students can learn to strengthen skills such as LEADERSHIP, collaborating with others, and can learn the significance of supporting your community. This looks great on COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, especially since joining this club can open up opportunities for SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS, and NETWORKING.

ZOEY ZIEN, CA&H ‘27 CLUB PRESIDENT zoey.zien@ocsarts.net

“CHILDREN: THEIR FUTURE, OUR FOCUS, LIVE2LEARN”

One of CNH KIWIN’S major focuses/service events puts emphasis on students promoting education and literacy, focused on youth, ages 5-9. This is just one of the many community service opportunities strengthening students’ connection with their area.