The Spotlight program is the culmination of an intensive educational program that begins in the summer and lasts through the Spotlight Gala Awards the following April. Each summer, applications go out to all Southern California public and private high schools, private teachers and arts schools. Learn more about the Spotlight Judges.

Spotlight Process: Performing Arts

Spotlight Director Jeri Gaile and her staff hold local auditions across Southern California where each student is auditioned by professionals in his or her arts discipline. Those students not chosen to advance receive a personal letter evaluating their strengths and suggesting areas for improvement. These auditions help students develop essential presentation and performance skills and provide invaluable feedback to advance their artistic development.

Preliminary Performing Arts Auditions
Spotlight performance categories are:

Classical Voice

Non-Classical Voice

Ballet

Non-Classical Dance

Classical Instrumental

Jazz Instrumental

Learn more about each performance category in the Program Category Guidelines.

Semifinalists Master Classes
By the end of December, the field in each category is narrowed to 15 semifinalists. The semifinalists are invited to special master classes with professionals who offer insight on performance technique, training and professional life.

This past year Spotlight master class instructors included Broadway great Karen Morrow, Metropolitan Opera star Carol Neblett, former member New York City Ballet, Zippora Karz, former Artistic Director with The Royal Danish Ballet, Thordal Christensen and Associate Concertmaster with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Bing Wang.

Many students comment that the chance to work with such outstanding artists is one of the highlights of the Spotlight program. All applicants who did not advance to the semifinals are invited to observe certain Master Classes. Learn More about our Master Class Teachers.

The Finalists
The Spotlight program culminates with a glorious evening of performance on the main stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center. The 12 student finalists perform before celebrity judges, family, friends and the public. The final performance competition is produced by award-winning director/producer Jeff Margolis whose 30 years experience includes Emmy-nominated Academy Awards productions and numerous television specials. First place Grand Prize winners receive $5,000 and runner-up Grand Prize winners receive $4,000.

Spotlight Process: Visual Arts

The Spotlight Awards 2-Dimensional Art Competition, launched in 1996, and the Photography Competition, which began in 1999, offer young artists and photographers the opportunity to have their work reviewed by a panel of arts professionals, prominent artists, and leading professional photographers. These outstanding artists review all the student submissions and select 15 semifinalists in both visual arts categories.

Visual Arts Categories
Spotlight Visual Arts categories are:

Photography

Two Dimensional Art

Learn more about each performance category in the Program Category Guidelines.

Museum Tours
All Visual Arts applicants are invited to tour the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) or other prestigious museum. The tours are led by docents, volunteer educators who receive training in art history and in working with students. Guided tours at museums present the richness of the visual arts, increase students' powers of perception, analysis and judgment and stimulate interest in a vital part of our multicultural heritage.

Semifinalists
Bergamot Station Art Tour: Semifinalists are guided through a selection of galleries at Bergamot Station, once a trolley station that now houses over thirty galleries. The tour focused on how to analyze works of art and the importance of the gallery setting.

Judges Interview: Students selected as semifinalists will be invited to show and discuss their artwork with the judges. At this interview, they must bring the original work from the reproduction they submitted. Semifinalists must be prepared to bring additional finished works as well as portfolios and sketchbooks. Semifinalists will receive a certificate of achievement and a letter containing evaluation from the judges recognizing their strengths and suggestions for areas of improvement in addition to their awards. The works from each semifinalist are shown at a special awards reception in a prominent Southern California gallery. Judges will select Honorable Mentions and Grand Prize Finalists.

Finalists
Those students who are selected as Grand Prize Finalists will appear on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the award ceremony on April 26, 2008. First and Runner-Up placements will be announced on stage during the performance.

For more information visit the online FAQ, if you still have questions call the Spotlight Hotline at 213.972.3300 or email us at spotlight@musiccenter.org