2011 Overture Award Winners Announced

The Cincinnati Arts Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Overture Awards Scholarship Competition, held on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater. The competition annually awards $2,500 scholarships to six area students for post-secondary education, with 18 runners-up each winning $500 scholarships. Students are nominated by their schools to compete in one of six disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art or Vocal Music. The scholarship program is the largest of its kind in the United States and was developed to recognize, encourage and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final and Final.

2011 OVERTURE AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

CREATIVE WRITING: Theodore Murphy - Mariemont High School, grade 12, creative non-fiction

HOMETOWN: Mariemont, OH - Teddy was introduced to creative writing through songwriting. He was a winner of the 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. essay contest, and is inspired by J.D. Salinger, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut and anything published in Adbusters.

DANCE: Hannah Brenneman - All That Dance, grade 9, contemporary
HOMETOWN: Springboro, OH - Hannah currently trains at All That Dance in Springboro, OH, under the direction of Laura Baker, Freddie Fourie and Olivia Policicchio. She was the 2007 silver medal junior soloist at the World Showdance Championships in Reisa, Germany, and has also won numerous national titles.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC: Jacqueline Tso - Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, grade 9, violin

HOMETOWN: Loveland, OH - Jackie studies with Kurt Sassmannshaus at the University of Cincinnati. She debuted with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at the age of eight and played there again at 13. She performed with the Santa Fe Orchestra in 2009 and will play again with them this coming Christmas Eve. Jackie has also performed with the Blue Ash Symphony and the Beijing Broadcasting Orchestra and has participated in master classes with Pinchas Zukerman, Vadim Repin and Ida Kavafian.

THEATER: Ali Breneman - Cincinnati Actor's Studio, grade 12, musical theater

HOMETOWN: Anderson Township, OH - Ali has been performing since she was seven and has loved every minute of it. She is so very grateful to all of her wonderful teachers, especially Gina Cerimele-Mechley and Karl Resnik, and to her family. As she moves on to college, she plans on finding ways to combine her passion for theater with her love of academics.

VISUAL ART: Austin Litfin - Milford High School, grade 11

HOMETOWN: Milford, OH - Ever since he can remember, Austin has been drawing. Until this year, when it occurred to him that fine art was not what he wanted to do with his career. Entering high school, he was given the opportunity to work with Damon Tucker and Janelle Vanderplough, both of whom shaped him in many ways. Austin switched from fine art to photography. Setting each scene, he feels like a producer, directing the model and reworking it to fix issues that arise during shooting. When people look at his photographs, Austin wants them to feel as if they could go up and press the "play" button.

VOCAL MUSIC: Hugh Smith - Walnut Hills High School, grade 12

HOMETOWN: Hyde Park, OH - Hugh has sung in St. Peter in Chains Cathedral Choir and is currently a Choral Scholar at Christ Church Cathedral. He thanks his loving family and his absolutely wonderful voice teacher, Lincoln Chapman, for all of their support. Inspired by John Cassavetes and Gustavus Adolphus, Hugh will major in theater when he goes to college next year.

The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held in January at Northern Kentucky University, The University of Cincinnati's Raymond Walters College, Saint Ursula Academy, Lakeside Christian Church, and Xavier University. The top 20 percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, held at the Aronoff Center the weekend following the Regional Competitions. Twenty-four finalists (four in each discipline) competed in the Finals Competition at the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater on Saturday, February 26.

The Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber program) launched The Overture Awards in 1996. The program is administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which manages and operates the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall. The Overture Awards also relies on hundreds of community volunteers who help raise funds, adjudicate, staff the competitions, and nurture the program.

Overture Awards Program Sponsors: The Eleanora C.U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee; Duke Energy.

Overture Awards Scholarship Sponsors: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation; Crosset Family Fund; William O. Purdy, Jr. Foundation; Summerfair Cincinnati; Western & Southern Financial Fund.

Overture Awards Competition Sponsors: Buddy Roger's Music; Lakeside Christian Church; Miller-Valentine Group; Northern Kentucky University; St. Ursula Academy; SiteRightNow.com; The University of Cincinnati - Raymond Walters College; Xavier University. 

THE 2011 OVERTURE AWARDS FINALISTS

CREATIVE WRITING
· Justine Cefalu - Seven Hills School, grade 12, poetry

· Theodore Murphy - Mariemont High School, grade 12, creative non-fiction

· Kaitlyn Olson - Turpin High School, grade 12, fiction

· Martha Jane Paterson - School for Creative and Performing Arts, grade 12, poetry

DANCE
Hannah Brenneman - All That Dance, grade 9, contemporary
Jeff Heimbrock - Anderson High School, grade 12, tap
Lauren Pauley - Northern Cincinnati Youth Ballet, grade 10, ballet
Christina Vergara - Northern Cincinnati Youth Ballet, grade 10, modern

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
· Kevin Bao - Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, grade 9, piano

· Jacqueline Tso - Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, grade 9, violin

· Madeline Wessel - Turpin High School, grade 12, alto saxophone

· Stephanie Zyzak - Zyzak Homeschool, grade 12, violin

THEATER
· Ali Breneman - Cincinnati Actor's Studio, grade 12, musical theater

· Jeff Heimbrock - Anderson High School, grade 12, musical theater

· Lauren Kean - Kings High School, grade 12, drama

· Margot Plum - Gina Cerimele-Mechley Acting Studio, grade 12, musical theater

VISUAL ART
· Julia Carleton - Wyoming High School, grade 12

· Evan Grothjan - St. Xavier High School, grade 12

· Grant Leung - Kings High School, grade 12

· Austin Litfin - Milford High School, grade 11

VOCAL MUSIC
· Kori Hoge - Highlands High School, grade 12

· Brian Moore - Anderson High School, grade 12

· Holly Reckers - Musical Arts Center, grade 11

· Hugh Smith - Walnut Hills High School, grade 12