There are three levels of judging:

Preliminary Judges

Semi Final Judges

Finalist Judges

Preliminary Judges

Peter Atherton

Debbie Boltinghouse

Mark Braunstein

Timothy Durkovic

Patricia Gee

Ilene Graff

Julia Gregory

Daniel Guzman

Susan Helfter

Elisabeth Howard

Dee Kaye

Francine Kessler Lavac

Rodney Lee

Marie-France Lévesque

Antonio Lopez

Gregory Maldonado

Kimberly Okamura

Jacqueline Petitto

Angelica Prodan

Kim Richmond

Mary Kathryn Riggs

Richard Rintoul

Marco Schindelmann

Joey Sellers

Jo Raquel Stoup

Jamey Tate

Jacques Voyemant

Daniel Alfred Wachs

Mike Weir

Leif Woodward

Christopher Youngsman

Semi Final Judges

Non Classical Voice Semifinal Judges

Shoshana Bean has starred as Elphaba in the Broadway and touring productions of Wicked. She was in the original cast of the Tony Award-winning musical Hairspray and the off-Broadway revival of Godspell. Ms. Bean has shared the stage with Grammy Award-nominee Brian McKnight and can be heard on the soundtracks of Enchanted, Hairspray, and Dance Flick. Her work as a singer/songwriter has been featured on The Hills and her debut album, Superhero, was recently released.

Barrett Foa starred on Broadway in Avenue Q, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and the original cast of Mamma Mia!. His off-Broadway and regional credits include Godspell, Cupid & Psyche, Much Ado About Nothing, Camelot, The Fantasticks, Gypsy, Children of Eden, and The Sound of Music, among others. Mr. Foa studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre Department.

Julia Gregory has performed in numerous Broadway/pre-Broadway/national/international tour productions including Showboat, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, A Chorus Line, West Side Story, and Singin’ in the Rain. She has worked with Rob and Kathleen Marshall, Hal Prince, Jerome Robbins, Susan Stroman, James Hammerstein, and Bayork Lee, among others. Ms. Gregory has taught workshops at NYU and coaches Corbin Bleu from High School Musical.

Victoria Morris is a senior agent and head of the Equity Department at Kazarian/Spencer/Ruskin & Associates (KSR), whose offices serve talent in Los Angeles and New York City. Ms. Morris and KSR have clients in Broadway and national productions of Jersey Boys, Wicked, Avenue Q, and In the Heights, among others. Ms. Morris actively scouts talent nationally and teaches in several university theatre departments across the country.

Christopher Youngsman has starred on Broadway and in national tours of Urinetown and Grease!. His off-Broadway/national/regional productions include The Gorey Details, Just So!, Hair, Pageant, Plaid Tidings, Forever Plaid, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, and Gypsy. Mr. Youngsman’s television credits include Rescue Me, Starved, Vh1, E! Fashion File, Tony Awards, and Between the Lions.

Classical Voice Judges

Margaret Dehning is chair of the Conservatory of Music and coordinator of Vocal Studies at Chapman University where she was recognized with an Excellence in Teaching Achievement Award. Ms. Dehning is past president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and presently sits on the National Foundation Board of NATS. She has been an active recitalist in concert and oratorio performances internationally.

Patricia Gee is an adjunct professor of voice at Chapman University and University of Redlands. Ms. Gee has performed as a soloist in Menotti's The Telephone, Handel's Messiah, and Mozart's The Impresario and Coronation Mass, among others. She has been a guest lecturer for the California Music Educators Association and has been the recipient of many teaching awards. Ms. Gee’s students perform in international and national opera houses.

Judith Palanca Hansen is on faculty at UCLA where she teaches Art Song Repertoire and Accompanying classes. Ms. Palanca Hansen is a coach/accompanist for UCLA Opera, where she assists in the musical preparation and performance of opera productions and opera scenes. In addition, Ms. Palanca Hansen was a korrepetitorin in the Heidelberg Stadt Theatre and musical director for the Rhein-Neckar Theater in Mannheim, Germany.

Marco Schindelmann is artist professor of voice and director of the University of Redlands Opera. He has performed internationally as a soloist with organizations such as the Bayerische Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsballet, and Radio Vaticana. His roles include Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), Conte Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), Giorgio Germont (La Traviata), and der König (Die Kluge). This year, Mr. Schindelmann is a recipient of the Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Lois Vaccariello has appeared as a soprano soloist with the Syracuse Symphony, the Orchestra of Northern New York, and the Long Beach Symphony, among others. She was director of the Opera Program at the Crane School of Music, State University of New York, where she taught applied voice, diction, and vocal pedagogy. Most recently, Ms. Vaccariello has taught at University of Redlands, and now teaches applied voice students at Los Angeles Valley College.

Ballet Judges

Melissa Barak joined New York City Ballet (NYCB) in 1998. She has performed featured roles in George Balanchine's The Four Temperaments and The Nutcracker, and Peter Martins' The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, among others. Ms. Barak has choreographed several ballets for NYCB, including If by Chance which premiered as part of NYCB's 2002 Diamond Project. She is currently a member of the newly formed Los Angeles Ballet.

Martine Harley is a former soloist with the Houston Ballet. Ms. Harley has worked with such luminaries as Dame Margot Fonteyn, Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., Glen Tetley, and Sir Kenneth MacMillan. She has danced for presidents and dignitaries at the Kennedy Center and internationally. Upon retiring from dancing, Ms. Harley became ballet mistress and artistic coordinator for Houston Ballet.

Romy Karz is a former soloist with the New York City Ballet. Her featured roles include principal and solo roles in Swan Lake, The Four Temperaments, Symphony in Three Movements, Agon, and Concerto Barocco, among others. Miss Karz has appeared on national television in the Dance in America broadcast of Balanchine's Serenade and Western Symphony, An Evening with Balanchine, and the movie The Nutcracker.

Francine Kessler Lavac is a former soloist with Ballet West and Harkness Ballet Company. She performed principal roles in Coppélia and The Nutcracker, and leads in Balanchine’s Pas de Dix, Serenade, Four Temperaments, John Butler’s Carmina Burana, and Cinderella. Ms. Kessler can be seen as the partner of Mikhail Baryshnikov on the Baryshnikov Television Special for CBS with choreography by Michael Kidd.

Antonio Lopez is a former principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet. He has had roles created for him by choreographers such as Michael Smuin, William Christensen, John Clifford, and Jiri Kylian. He received an Emmy for his work in Michael Smuin's Emmy Award-winning A Song for Dead Warriors. Mr. Lopez’s repertoire includes leads in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Bolero, Spartacus, and Beauty and the Beast, among others.

Non Classical Dance Judges

Cheryl Baxter has performed on Broadway in Sophisticated Ladies and in national companies of Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, and 42nd Street. She has worked with Gregory Hines, the Nicholas Brothers, and Jason Alexander. Ms. Baxter was assistant choreographer to Gene Kelly and Kenny Ortega, and she choreographs productions throughout the United States, Europe, and South America. She is currently directing stage shows for Universal Studios in Japan.

Julia Gregory has performed in Broadway/pre-Broadway/national/international tour productions of Showboat, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Damn Yankees, Cats, A Chorus Line, West Side Story, and Singin’ in the Rain, among others. She has worked as a singer and dancer with Rob and Kathleen Marshall, Hal Prince, Jerome Robbins, Susan Stroman, Alan Johnson, James Hammerstein, Jack O’Brien, and Bayork Lee.

Shawnette Heard has many credits including co-creator, director, and choreographer for Janet Jackson’s All for You World Tour. She was the co-creator and associate choreographer for Janet Jackson’s Velvet Rope Tour and television show, Christina Aguilera’s world tours, Cheetah Girls II, American Music Awards, and the MTV Music Video Awards, among many others. Ms. Heard is the artistic educational director of the Osaka School of Music.

Dee Kaye has performed extensively throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe in television, movies, commercials, and stage. Her television credits include the Academy Awards and the Tonight Show, among many others. Ms. Kaye is the co-founder of Teatro Electrio, a modern/jazz dance ensemble based in Milano, Italy, as well as the lead dancer on Canali 5 and The Rai for Italian television.

Mike Weir is a former professional dancer and singer whose credits on Broadway and national tours include starring roles in Blackstone!, Evita, and A Chorus Line. He was a principal dancer with the Omaha Ballet and the modern dance companies Manning Freed Dance Theater and Space, Energy, Time Dance Company. Mr. Weir has an extensive background as a dancer in film, television, and commercials, as well.

Classical Instrumental Judges

Timothy Durkovic is director of keyboard activities at Long Beach City College. He is a frequent guest lecturer at the USC Thornton School of Music. Having worked under the tutelage of Lucinda Carver, Mr. Durkovic is also becoming increasingly sought after as a conductor. He performs in recital and as a soloist with orchestra in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Latin America. His performances have been broadcast on International Voice of America, TGNA, and several NPR affiliates.

Cynthia Ellis is a member of the Pacific Symphony. In 1995, she was appointed principal flutist with the Opera Pacific Orchestra. She has recorded with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the Pacific Symphony. Ms. Ellis is instructor of flute at California State University, Fullerton, where she also holds a lectureship position and coaches the university flute ensemble. She currently serves as a member of the National Flute Association Pedagogy Committee.

Marshall T. Fulbright III is music director/conductor of the Long Beach Community College Orchestra and director of orchestral studies at Long Beach City College. Mr. Fulbright has studied with conducting pedagogues such as David Zinman, Jorge Mester, and JoAnn Falletta, among many others. He has attended the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, the Conductor Institute of South Carolina, and various other workshops.

John Koshak is conductor and professor emeritus at Chapman University. He is also the music director and conductor emeritus, and holder of the Ambassador and Mrs. George L. Argyros music director’s chair of the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has received the Irene Schoepfle Award and the Golden Lyre Award in recognition of his work in music education. Mr. Koshak serves as chair of the Mentoring Committee of the Conductors Guild.

Richard Rintoul conducts the orchestra and teaches conducting at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and conducts the Irvine Classical Players Orchestra. His guest-conducting includes work on commercial studio recording sessions, the San Diego Symphony, the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic, the Downey Symphony, the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, and the Inland Empire Orchestra. He maintains an active career as a violist for film and television soundtracks.

Jazz Instrumental Judges

Keith Fiddmont has recorded or performed with notable musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, B.B. King, and Diana Krall. He has led clinics and judged festivals for the West Coast Saxophone Conclave and the Henry Mancini Institute, among others. Mr. Fiddmont is on the music faculty of Santa Monica College and is head of the Jazz and Commercial Music Department at the Orange County High School of the Arts.

Matt Harris is co-director of Jazz Studies at California State University, Northridge, and a faculty member at Idyllwild Arts Academy’s summer jazz workshop. He has toured, written, and recorded with Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, Bob Sheppard, Diane Shure, and Kurt Elling, among others. He has written for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Metrapole Orchestra, as well as high school and college bands throughout the country. Mr. Harris is an active clinician, conductor, and composer.

Pat Kelley has toured and recorded with George Benson, Natalie Cole, David Benoit, Tom Scott, and countless others, and has performed internationally with numerous symphony orchestras. He is on the faculty of the Studio/Jazz Guitar Department at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Mr. Kelley is a member of Broadcast Music, Inc.; American Federation of Television and Radio Announcers; National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; and Recording Musicians Association.

Jacques Voyemant has performed, toured and/or recorded with Poncho Sanchez, Tom Harrell, Al Jarreau, Dave Brubeck, Peter Erskine, and Ernie Watts, among many others. He has also performed with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra, Bruce Lofgren's Jazz Orchestra, the Bobby Matos Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, as well as Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. Mr. Voyemant is a faculty member at the University of Southern California.

Finalist Judges

Non-Classical Dance

Julie McDonald is co-owner of McDonald Selznick Associates (MSA). Collectively, MSA’s clients have worked with many of the music industry’s most influential recording artists including Madonna, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Usher, and Mariah Carey. Their choreography graces numerous Las Vegas productions including: Cirque du Soleil and Bette Midler’s The Showgirl Must Go On. On Broadway, their work can be seen in Hairspray, Legally Blonde, The Color Purple, and the upcoming Spiderman. MSA’s clients have been nominated for and won numerous Tony, Emmy, and American Choreography awards. Ms. McDonald is a founder of the Choreography Media Honors, a new annual event honoring the art and craft of choreography for the camera.

Vincent Paterson, director/choreographer, has a career without boundaries. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his choreography of Kiss of the Spiderwoman. His film choreography includes Dancer in the Dark, The Birdcage, and Evita. He directed and choreographed In Search of Dr. Seuss for TNT, receiving seven Emmy nominations. He directed and choreographed Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour as well as Michael Jackson’s Bad tour. He directed Manon at LA Opera starring Anna Netrebko. His dance-film reflection on September 11th won the Gold Jury Award at the Houston Film Festival. He is currently directing and writing Cirque Du Soleil’s Elvis to open in Las Vegas at City Center in November 2009.

Natalie Willes was a Grand Prize Finalist at the Music Center Spotlight Awards in 1993. Ms. Willes studied on scholarship with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She is a former Radio City Rockette and was the youngest Rockette to be chosen in the troupe’s history. Her Broadway and theater credits include Saturday Night Fever, Movin’ Out, Like Jazz, San Francisco Opera’s La Rossignol, and LA Opera’s Tannhäuser. She can be seen in many films and television programs including Chicago, the movie, and Austin Powers. Her latest project, The Travels of Shaka-Muni, is a new children’s television show which she starred in, produced, directed, and choreographed.

Jazz Instrumental

David Benoit is a multi Grammy-nominated jazz pianist. He has arranged, conducted, and performed music for artists including Patti Austin, Dave Koz, Faith Hill, Russ Freeman & the Rippingtons, and Cece Winans, among others, as well as eminent orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and Czech National Symphony Orchestra. He received the coveted Excellence in Music Education Award from the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation for his deep involvement as a guest educator. He has also been involved with the Grammy in the Schools Foundation and was awarded Music Mentor of the Year by the International Foundation of Education and Performing Arts. He is currently music director of the Asia America Symphony.

Gerald Clayton was a Grand Prize Finalist at the Music Center Spotlight Awards in 2001. Mr. Clayton has performed in international concerts with world-renowned musicians including Benny Green, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Barron, Clark Terry, and Roy Hargrove, among others. His notable engagements include performances with the Henry Mancini Orchestra at Royce Hall and at Walt Disney Concert Hall. He recently received second place in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Piano Competition. He can be heard on Back in the Swing of Things, the latest recording by the Clayton Brothers, as well as on several tracks of Diana Krall’s most recent recording From This Moment On.

Kevin Eubanks is one of the most prolific jazz guitarists in the country. He has been a key member of the Tonight Show Band since the program premiered in May 1992. He composed the closing theme and continues to write additional music for the show. Mr. Eubanks has released numerous CD’s during his sixteen-year recording career. He was the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from the prestigious Berklee School of Music at the 2005 commencement ceremonies.

Ballet

Misty Copeland was a Grand Prize Finalist at the Music Center Spotlight Awards in 1998. She is a soloist with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), having started in the ABT Studio Company. She joined ABT’s corps de ballet in 2001. Ms. Copeland has held leading roles in In the Upper Room, Pretty Good Year, Sechs Tänze, Sinfonietta, Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison, and workwithinwork. She has also held featured roles in Amazed in Burning Dreams, Gong, and HereAfter, and created a leading role in Glow-Stop. Her roles with ABT include those in La Bayadère, Le Corsaire, Coppélia, Don Quixote, Christopher Wheeldon’s VIII, Giselle, Petrouchka, Raymonda, and Swan Lake.

Nichol Hlinka is a former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, initially under George Balanchine’s leadership. She was promoted to principal dancer during Peter Martins’ tenure. She was featured in a wide range of ballerina roles including Balanchine’s Coppélia, Nutcracker, Raymonda Variations, Scotch Symphony, Stars and Stripes, Symphony in C, and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, to name a few. Ballets choreographed on Ms. Hlinka include works by Jacques d’Amboise and Peter Martins, among others. Her performances were broadcast by PBS on Live From Lincoln Center and Great Performances. Since retiring, she has taught master classes in ballet, choreographed for New York City Ballet’s Choreographers Workshops, and been involved in educational seminars on dance.

Stanton Welch is the artistic director of Houston Ballet. He is a former principal dancer with the Australian Ballet and has worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Jirí Kylían, Nacho Duato, and Maurice Béjart. Mr. Welch is also one of the most sought-after choreographers of his generation, having created works for such prestigious international companies as American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, Royal Danish Ballet, the Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Boston Ballet, among others. His full-length production of Madame Butterfly is an international signature work and is in the repertoires of world-class dance companies.

Non-Classical Voice

Erin Mackey was a Grand Prize Finalist at the Music Center Spotlight Awards in 2003. She has appeared in a number of Warner Bros. television shows including Do Over, Family Affair, and Greetings From Tucson, and was the acting double for Lindsay Lohan in Disney’s The Parent Trap. After attending Carnegie Mellon for her freshman year of college, she landed a job with the first national tour of Wicked. She then moved onto the Chicago company of Wicked as an understudy for Glinda. Shortly afterwards, she took over the role of Glinda permanently in Chicago, where she has flown in a bubble eight times a week since October 2006.

Tonya Pinkins is a Tony Award-winner who has also won Obie, Drama Desk, Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, Garland, LA Drama Critics, Clarence Derwent, and Audelco awards. She has received numerous nominations for awards including three Tony nominations, an Olivier nomination, two NAACP nominations, and a Jeff nomination. She appeared as Livia Frye on All My Children for eighteen years. She is currently in the film Enchanted and the seventh season of the television series 24. Ms. Pinkins is the author of Get Over Yourself: How to Drop the Drama and Claim the Life You Deserve. She is founder of the Actorpreneur Attitude™, as well as a lecturer, teacher, and coach.

Andrew Lanoie is an agent with the Music Department of the William Morris Agency which represents renowned artists including multi Grammy Award-winners Diana Krall and Natalie Cole, Tony Award-winners Julie Andrews and Bernadette Peters, Grammy-nominated Jane Monheit, as well as rising star Renee Olstead. After graduating from college, Mr. Lanoie toured with successful bands including Percy Hill and Groove Child. Having always had an interest in the business aspect of music, he continued to manage both the tours and the bands with which he performed. In addition, he became active with the prestigious Summer Youth Music School in New Hampshire. Mr. Lanoie has been with the William Morris Agency for 10 years.

Classical Voice

Juliana Gondek has sung in the world’s most celebrated opera houses, concert halls, and festivals, performing with Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and James Levine. She has starred with over one hundred opera companies and orchestras including the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, the Edinburgh Festival, Netherlands Opera, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, New York Philharmonic, Suisse Romande Orchestra, and Hong Kong Philharmonic. Many of her recordings have won international prizes. Ms. Gondek chairs the Voice and Opera program at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and teaches master classes and adjudicates internationally.

Suzanna Guzmán, mezzosoprano, is a principal artist of LA Opera. As a soloist, she has performed internationally with companies that include the Metropolitan Opera, Washington Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. Time magazine praised her portrayal of Bizet’s Carmen. She was nominated for a Helen Hayes Lead Actress Award and was a soloist on the 2006 Grammy-nominated CD Carlos Chávez: Volume III. First Lady Maria Shriver chose her to be featured in the California Women’s Museum exhibit, Latinas: the Spirit of California, for her work as an arts advocate. Ms. Guzman has performed her one-woman elementary school show, Don’t be Afraid: It’s Just Opera!, for over two hundred thousand inner city children.

Joshua Winograde was a Grand Prize Finalist at the Music Center Spotlight Awards in 1992. Mr. Winograde, bass-baritone, has sung with world-class opera companies including New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Chautauqua Opera Company, and Wolf Trap Opera Company. In concert, Mr. Winograde has sung with the most distinguished orchestras and conductors including the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leonard Slatkin, and Grant Gershon, among others. In addition to his career as an opera and concert singer, he is the head of the Wolf Trap Opera Studio and manager of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program at LA Opera.

Classical Instrumental

Helane Anderson is the artistic administrator and program planner for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Ms. Anderson oversees and coordinates the Los Angeles Philharmonic classical programming at the Hollywood Bowl. In addition, she plans a number of Philharmonic series at Walt Disney Concert Hall, including the Green Umbrella new music series, chamber music series, and education concerts. Ms. Anderson was director of Composers & Repertoire at the New York office of international music publisher Boosey & Hawkes, where she was responsible for working closely with composers such as John Adams and Steve Reich and overseeing all commissioning projects, including the Stravinsky Project.

Yehuda Gilad has been lauded by the New York Times for his “strong imaginative programming.” His innovative approach to music-making has earned him a reputation as one of today’s most dynamic and charismatic artists. He is currently music director of the Colburn Orchestra and also served as music director of the Colonial Symphony of New Jersey, 20th Century Unlimited concert series, Thornton Chamber Orchestra, and Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra. His guest conducting appearances have garnered critical acclaim in the United States, Asia and Europe. His collaborations with leading artists include Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Joseph Kalichstein, and Vladimir Feltsman, to name a few.

Max Levinson was a Grand Prize Finalist at the Music Center Spotlight Awards in 1988. He has performed internationally as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Boston Pops, and National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, among others. He received First Prize in the Dublin International Piano Competition and the Avery Fisher Career Grant. Mr. Levinson has collaborated with such artists as Pinchas Zukerman and the Tokyo, Vermeer, Mendelssohn, and Borromeo quartets. His music festival appearances include Marlboro, Tanglewood, La Jolla, and Switzerland’s Davos festivals. He is artistic director of the San Juan Chamber Music Festival and on faculty at Boston Conservatory and Brown University.