Of the 391 Orange County nominees, the Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD) is proud to have a total of 32 students represented with at least three in each category on the prestigious list.

In order to receive this recognition, students had to submit videos of performances, samples of art, and answer a series of questions about their passion for the arts and the influence it has on their lives. 

On May 1, the OC Register will announce the “Top 10” from each category. 

The 32 students listed below are the 2016 nominees for Artist of the Year from the HBUHSD. Directly following the students name and high school is an endorsement quote from their respected teachers.

CLICK HERE to be directed to the Orange County Register's third annual Varsity Arts Artist of the Year award nominees article.

- HBUHSD Varsity Arts Artist of the Year Nominees -

Theater (4)

Josh Behrens, Huntington Beach High School: “Josh paints with light. He is able to change the mood of an audience. His tools are color, light intensity, direction and movement.” – Joe Batte

Laura Harris, Huntington Beach High School: “Laura’s timing, vocal prowess and positive theatrical energy is engaging, and she is never at a loss for giving of her talent and time.” – Tim Nelson

Jacob Menke (pictured), Huntington Beach High School: “Jacob’s plays show that a student-written play can touch people and make them think. His scripts definitely show that a play produced at a high school doesn’t have to seem like a high school play.” – Robert Rotenberry

Madeline Schultz, Fountain Valley High School: “Maddie takes on each part with a pursuit of truth and builds characters that are honest and powerful.” – Robert Zick

Dance (3) 

Catherine Evans, Huntington Beach High School: “Catherine’s rigorous ballet upbringing has bled into all areas of her dance, maintaining her technique while still adapting and becoming any given style thrown her way.” – Diane Makas

Bailie Johnston, Huntington Beach High School: “Bailie demonstrates an element of physical control that is rarely seen in such a young performer. ... She seems to float through the air, descending from her leaps more as a choice then as a result of gravity.” – Marie Hoffman

Camryn Villano, Huntington Beach High School: “Camryn is a storyteller that uses music and lyrics combined with a strong technical foundation of movement to depict a character, feeling or both.” – Andrea Taylor

Instrumental Music (4)

Tyler Buu, Huntington Beach High School (percussion in snare, drum set, timpani, piano, flute, some ukulele chords): “Tyler understands the role of percussion as both a driving force in music and as a color enhancer. He doesn’t want to be ‘the star’ of the ensemble or play so everyone will notice him. He understands his role as a musician very well.” – Gregg Gilboe

Ivan Romero-Bautista, Huntington Beach High School (alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, classical piano, pop guitar):“Ivan is motivated to reach beyond his underprivileged family background in order to make music a part of his life, and to contribute his artistry to the world.” – Gregg Gilboe

Cameron Row, Huntington Beach High School (piano, drums):“Cameron epitomizes the self-directed learner. He absorbs everything that he has learned in his music technology and songwriting classes and then extends this learning by subscribing to industry publications and non stop exploration of music technology.” – Jamie Knight

Tyler Wadman, Marina High School (cello, French horn, string bass, bass drum): “Tyler is thoughtful, kind, musical, driven and he inspires our other students to excel and achieve higher musical standards.” – John McGilligan

Vocal Music (4)

Gabrielle Budihas, Huntington Beach High School: “Gabby is this year’s ‘go-to student’ that I count on for everything. She has a fabulous voice and is an up-and-coming songwriter.” – Jamie Knight

Katherine Chatman, Huntington Beach High School: “From Gilbert and Sullivan light opera to ‘City of Angels’ jazz, Katherine is able to handle the style with the same effortless and full-bodied quality.” – Tim Nelson 

Anneka Remp, Marina High School: “She has exceptional resonance, strong breath support and is a real joy to hear sing.” – Eric Graham

Cole Wachman, Huntington Beach High School: “Cole has had the mindset of a professional since arriving at Huntington Beach. He is quite a leader in the vocal program at our school and he has a large volume of knowledge in vocal music repertoire, ranging from contemporary to the musical stage to classical.” – Tim Nelson

Visual Arts (14)

Lupe Cardoso, Westminster High School: “She has a special talent when it comes to sculpting the human figure and with developing unique/creative concepts for her work.” – Teresa Strombotne

Noah Carr, Fountain Valley High School: “Noah develops a hyper-real dreamlike state with his fast exposures, flash and overlapping of the natural world with portraiture.” – Lauren Anderson

Brett Cuviello, Ocean View High School: “Brett is not afraid to try new media or techniques, but his graphic style always finds a way in, one way or another.” – Adrian Lopez

Danielle Esparza, Marina High School: “Danielle’s work is very expressive and causes viewers to look for meaning in it.” – Michelle Dziadkowicz

Danii Falagan, Marina High School: “Danii’s dedication to her artwork can be seen in the amount of work that she has produced, but it is her perspective towards her art that makes it different.” – Carol Cole 

Christine Hall, Coast High School: “I feel that Christine is currently in an experimental phase in her art. She is experimenting with different mediums and trying to push the boundaries of each media.” – Ryan King

Bryanna Hockman, Marina High School: “Bryanna is a detail-oriented artist that is inspired by people and emotions. Her work tends to look contemporary, and she is inspired by modern art.” – Michelle Dziadkowicz

Nicole Kieva, Marina High School: “Nicole is a detail-oriented artist that is inspired by fantasy-like objects that are story-telling.” – Michelle Dziadkowicz

Noelle Nguyen, Marina High School: “Noelle is unique in that she envisions her artwork from a different perspective.” – Carol Cole

Aileen Nguyen, Fountain Valley High School: “Aileen strives for consummate clean images that break boundaries with an aesthetic use of texture and placement.” – Lauren Anderson

Ammy Nguyen, Westminster High School: “Ammy has a keen eye for detail and observation. She takes her time creating each artwork and is a gentle artist, creating beautiful still-life artworks and realistic watercolors.” – Daina Anderson

Emily Payne, Edison High School: “Emily has a strong interest in the past and creating artworks from historical images. She has a very strong style in photo realism.” – Jennie Roy-Atwood 

Yesenia Raygoza, Westminster High School: “Ms. Raygoza loves to juxtapose ocean forms and elements next to urban structures and landscapes, exploring contrasts and connections.” – Teresa Strombotne

Brittany Vang, Ocean View High School: “Brittany is willing to take risks by not being afraid to try new media or a new approach at creating art.” – Adrian Lopez

Film (3)

Edward Fahman, Fountain Valley High School: “At heart, Edward is a storyteller. He creates stories that ring true to the heart and the mind of his viewers.” – Sean Ziebarth

Jenni Rudolph, Huntington Beach High School: “Everything Jenni does is thoroughly thought-out and masterfully planned. She has a great voice for dialog, which is natural and funny.” – Michael Simmons

Bryan Tran, Fountain Valley High School: “Bryan creates worlds. He settles for nothing less than a rich rendering of his imagination or that of another director to the screen.” – Sean Ziebarth

Congratulations to all of our talented artists!  

CLICK HERE to be directed to the Orange County Register's third annual Varsity Arts Artist of the Year award nominees article.