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Interlochen students shine in 2025 YoungArts competition

More than 45 Arts Academy, Arts Camp, and Online students earned accolades in one of the nation’s leading awards programs for high school-age artists.

Large logo for YoungArts, with tagline The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists

48 Interlochen Arts Academy, Arts Camp, and Online students earned accolades in the 2025 YoungArts competition.

Presented annually by the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists, YoungArts is one of the nation’s most prestigious award programs for young artists in grades 10-12. The competition identifies exceptional creatives ages 15-18 in ten different artistic areas: classical music, dance, design arts, film, jazz, photography, theatre, visual arts, voice, and writing. Since the awards’ inception in 1981, more than 20,000 winners have been honored and supported through the program—including actor Timothee Chalamet, singer-songwriter Jon Batiste, poet Amanda Gorman, and flutist Claire Chase (IAC 92-93).

Two levels of YoungArts Awards are presented: YoungArts Awards and YoungArts Awards with Distinction. YoungArts Award winners receive $250 cash prizes, a lifetime of creative and professional support, and access to YoungArts Post, a private online portal where winners can share their work and connect with peers. Winners with Distinction are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week, an intensive program that includes classes, interdisciplinary workshops, and performances. During National YoungArts Week, Winners with Distinction receive a medallion and have their work further evaluated for cash awards up to $10,000. High school seniors who participate in National YoungArts Week and meet eligibility criteria are also considered for U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts.

See below for a full list of Interlochen-affiliated winners.

YoungArts Award Winners with Distinction

  • Sarah Baumgarten (IAC 23-24, IAA 24-present) - Voice/Singer-Songwriter
  • Emily Hsu (IAC 23) - Writing/Spoken Word
  • Ryan Kaplan (IAC 21) - Jazz/Sax/Tenor
  • Ariana Kim (IAC 21) - Classical Music/Bassoon
  • Sabine Lesniewicz (IAC 22) - Voice/Classical
  • Piper Lodato (IAA 22-present) - Theatre/Spoken
  • Jonathan Miller (IAA 23-24) - Classical Music/Tuba
  • Seger Ott-Rudolph (IAC 23) - Theatre/Musical
  • Sarah Rooney (IAC 19) - Writing/Fiction
  • Isaac Soren (IAC 22) - Voice/Singer-Songwriter
  • Elaina Stuppler (IO 22) - Voice/Singer-Songwriter
  • April Sutherland (IAA 21-present) - Voice/Singer-Songwriter
  • Maya Tzonev (IAC 22, IAA 22-present) - Visual Arts
  • Sarah Vanlandingham (IAC 24) - Voice/Classical
  • Daniel Xu (IAC 23) - Classical Music/Clarinet

YoungArts Award Winners

  • Madeline Ayala (IO 20, IAA 21-present) - Theatre/Musical
  • Carly Bodnick (IAC 21) - Design
  • Sabina Camblor (IAC 21-22, IO 22, IAA 23-present) - Theatre/Musical
  • Scarlett Cohan (IAC 24) - Classical Music/Harpsichord
  • Quinn De Vecchi (IAC 23, IAA 23-present) - Writing/Poetry
  • Iliana Demas (IAA 23-present) - Writing/Poetry
  • Greyson Geisness (IAA 23-present) - Classical Music/Viola
  • Valentina Gomez (IAC 24) - Voice/Classical
  • Gary Han (IO 20) - Classical Music/Viola
  • Isaac Hanson (IAC 22) - Jazz/Sax/Alto
  • Jesse Hu (IAC 22) - Classical Music/Oboe
  • Ryan Kaplan (IAC 21) - Jazz/Sax/Alto
  • Patrick Keedy Brown (IAC 22-24) - Writing/Poetry
  • Ian Kim (IAC 23) - Classical Music /Double Bass
  • Aiden Kim (IAC 24) - Classical Music/Cello
  • Clara Kornelis (IAC 22-23) - Photography
  • Tobi LaCroix (IAC 23, IAA 23-present) - Voice/Singer-Songwriter
  • Suzie Littleton (IAA 22-24) - Voice/Popular
  • Ana Meyer (IAA 24-present) - Jazz/Guitar
  • Blondine Moree (IAA 24-present) - Writing/Fiction
  • Mia Mortman (IAC 23) - Voice/Classical
  • Yena Oh (IAC 23) - Classical Music/Violin
  • Connor Powers (IAC 23-24) - Classical Music/Horn
  • Tara Prakash (IO 20, IAC 21-22) - Writing/Nonfiction
  • Callie Chae Pyken (IO 22) - Voice/Popular, Voice/Classical
  • Joshua Quddus (IAC 22) - Jazz/Sax/Alto
  • Melanie Riera (IAC 24) - Voice/Classical
  • Yossi Rosen (IO 22-24, IAC 23) - Writing/Fiction, Writing/Nonfiction
  • Isabella Rotker (IAA 21-present) - Writing/Nonfiction, Writing/Play or Script
  • Cyrano Rosentrater (IO 20) - Classical Music/violin
  • Kai Sanchez-Warner (IAC 23-24) - Voice/Singer-Songwriter
  • Ben Sherman (IAC 23) - Jazz/Sax/Tenor
  • Lev Sakae Taira (IAC 19, 22) - Classical Music/Violin
  • William Wu (IAC 19) - Classical Music, Piano