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Interlochen students and alumni shine in 2023 YoungArts Competition

24 current and former Interlochen Arts Academy students, 30 Interlochen Arts Camp alumni, and six Interlochen Online participants were honored in one of the nation’s leading competitions for young artists.

The Same But Different, a work by Marlene Schwier

“The Same But Different” by visual arts Finalist Marlene Schwier.

24 current and former Interlochen Arts Academy students, 30 Interlochen Arts Camp alumni, and six Interlochen Online participants are among the 702 young artists honored in the 2023 YoungArts Competition.

Presented by the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists, the YoungArts competition identifies exceptional young artists ages 15-18 in 10 artistic disciplines in the written, visual, and performing arts. Since YoungArts was founded in 1981, more than 20,000 young artists have been recognized and supported by the program, including actor Kerry Washington, singer Nicki Minaj, pianist Conrad Tao, poet Amanda Gorman, and flutist Claire Chase (IAC 92-93).

Winners are awarded in three categories—Merit, Honorable Mention, and Finalist—and receive a variety of benefits, including cash prizes ranging from $100 to $10,000 and exhibition and performance opportunities. Finalists are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week, a weeklong intensive featuring performances, readings, exhibitions, and workshops with acclaimed professional artists.

Finalists in their senior year are also eligible to be nominated for U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school artists. Since the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, 50 Interlochen Arts Academy students have been selected as Presidential Scholars—more than any other high school in the nation.

An interactive performance piece by Marlene Schwier (in trash can) designed to help the audience reconnect with their possessions.

An interactive performance piece by Marlene Schwier (in trash can) designed to help the audience reconnect with their possessions.

Finalists

  • Mari Broome (IAC 22, IAA 22-23), Voice (Popular)
  • Mason Bryant (IAC 21, IAA 21-), Jazz (Guitar) 
  • Jackson Kaiser (IAC 13-18, IAA 19-22), Composition 
  • Elizabeth Keller (IAC 19, IAA 21-), Novel 
  • Emily Pickering (IAA 22-), Creative Nonfiction 
  • Sophia Pollono (IAC 21), Theatre (Spoken & Musical) 
  • George Porteous (IAC 21), Theatre (Spoken Only) 
  • Marlene Schwier (IAC 13-18, IAA 19-23), Visual Arts

 

Honorable Mentions

  • Bella Aboulhosn (IO 20, IAC 21), Theatre (Spoken & Musical) 
  • Emily Baird IAC 21-22, IO 22, IAA 22-), Voice (Pop) 
  • Madeline Cha (IO 20), Violin 
  • Jonah Cohen (IAC 19, IAA 20-22), Composition 
  • Isabel Davison (IAA 21-22), Novel 
  • Neva Ensminger (IAA 20-22), Creative Nonfiction 
  • Grace Finke (IAC 18-19, 21, IO 20), Voice (Classical) 
  • Sela Foster (IAC 22), Voice (Jazz) 
  • Eloise Fox (IAC 17), Voice (Classical) 
  • Lila Holler (IAA 21-), Singer-Songwriter 
  • Jenny Hu (IAC 19), Novel, Short Story 
  • Ryan Kaplan (IAC 21), Jazz (Alto Saxophone) 
  • Claire Kho (IAC 17), Oboe 
  • Zarin Mehta (IAC 22), Piano 
  • Tara Prakash (IO 20, IAC 21-22), Creative Nonfiction 
  • Kaydance Rice (IAA 20-), Spoken Word 
  • Isabella Rotker (IAA 21-), Play or Script 
  • William Schwartzman (IAC 17-18, 21), Jazz (Piano) 
  • Corrine Turgeon (IAA 22-), Cello 
  • Anna Uehlein (IAC 21-22), Theatre (Spoken Only) 
  • Ava Ulloa (IAC 19), Voice (Popular) 
  • Logan Zaud (IAC 16-19, IAA 20-), Jazz (Double Bass)

Merit

  • Laurel Aronian (IAC 22), Singer-Songwriter 
  • Emily Baird (IAC 21-22, IO 22, IAA 22-), Singer-Songwriter 
  • Emelia Ciccolini (IAC 16-18, IAA 19-), Visual Arts 
  • Christopher Dechant (IAC 21), Clarinet 
  • Yiran Deng (IAC 14-15), Cello 
  • Mackenzie Duan (IO 22), Poetry 
  • Sydney Feldman (IAC 17-18, IO 20), Flute 
  • Evelyn Goldin (IAC 22), Singer-Songwriter 
  • Noa Gutkin (IO 22), Singer-Songwriter 
  • Samuel Hicks (IAC 19, IAA 20-), Jazz (Percussion) 
  • Jenny Hu (IAC 19), Novel 
  • Diego Jaquez (IO 20), Tuba 
  • Annie Johnson (IAC 21), Creative Nonfiction, Short Story 
  • Page Judge (IAC 21), Euphonium 
  • Caroline Kao (IAC 21), Oboe 
  • Heather Kim (IAC 21), Flute 
  • Lucy Letscher (IAC 22), Voice (Popular) 
  • Madeline Levan (IO 20, IAC 21, IAA 21-), Singer-Songwriter 
  • Cadence Liu (IAC 22), Flute 
  • Sophia Liu (IO 20), Poetry 
  • Imani Makasa (IAA 22-), Voice (Popular) 
  • Rose Morris (IAC 21-22), Singer-Songwriter 
  • Alicia Nordmeyer (IAA 21-), Short Story 
  • Genevieve Rogers (IAC 17-19, 21; IAA 21-), Singer-Songwriter 
  • Isabella Rotker (IAA 21-), Spoken Word 
  • Valeria Serrano (IAC 21, IAA 21-), Viola 
  • Max Schneiderman (IAC 22), Filmmaking 
  • Kaya Shin-Sherman (IO 20, IAC 21-22, IAA 21-), Singer-Songwriter 
  • Stellan Swanlund (IAC 21), Piano 
  • Cameron Suber (IAA 20-), Jazz (Tenor Saxophone) 
  • Lakshmi Sunder (IAC 21), Short Story 
  • Ava Ulloa (IAC 19), Voice (Jazz) 
  • Madison Xu (IO 20), Poetry 
  • Oscar Yum (IAC 21), Voice (Classical)

Acronym Key:
IAC - Interlochen Arts Camp
IAA - Interlochen Arts Academy
IO - Interlochen Online