Conservatory alumni news.

Nisa Ari (’04 Palmer High School) will be graduating from Stanford this June 2008. She had recently been awarded the renowned Dinkelspiel Award. This prestigious award is given to only two undergraduates who have made significant contributions to student life at Stanford University.
Her Citation is as follows:

For her commitment to the cultural life of Stanford students, working to make the arts accessible and exciting;

For the enthusiasm she brought to her role as a leader of the student guides at the Cantor Center;

For the vision she demonstrated in her exhibition, “Make Yourself at Home: Stanford Dorm Rooms 2006,” that put a new perspective on the concept of the ‘period room,’ attracted large numbers of students and was the only sophomore project ever offered gallery space at the Cantor; and

For her exuberant leadership and countless contributions to the Cantor Center, the Department of Art and Art History, the Stanford Shakespeare Society, and the Department of Music – in short for being a one-woman Arts Initiative;

Nisa Ari,
Stanford University Senior in Art and Art History,
is hereby designated the 2008 recipient of the
Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award
for Distinctive Contributions to Undergraduaten Education

Stephen Ochsner (’05 Woodland Park High School) will be studying at the Moscow Art Theater School. He will be studying acting, directing, movement, voice, Russian design, Russian theater history, and Russian language. Stephen is entering his junior year at Oklahoma City University as an acting major. He will be performing this summer at the Summerset Theater in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Matt MacMahan (’05 Woodland Park High School) is singing the role of Matthew in ‘Altar Boyz’ at Ozark Actors Theater in Rolla, Missouri. He is studying Musical Theater at Oklahoma City University.

Genevieve Lopez (’00 Palmer High School, Graduated Berklee School Music) Now living in Los Angeles, conservatory alum Genevieve is releasing her debut album In Our House in early May. The album embodies an earthy and edgy mixture of pop and folk, bringing together the playful 60s influences of The Beatles and the inherent American sound of current artists such as Sheryl Crow and Brandi Carlile. Genevieve writes all her own songs, sings and plays the piano, and co-arranged and co-produced the entire album. In Our House channels the music back to her roots, and pays homage to her love of home-state Colorado.

Mr. Joshua Franklin (’99 Doherty High School) will make his debut on Broadway in the cast of the revival of “Grease”.

Josh attended the conservatory through his high school years and was part of an amazing group of alumni who are proving that hard work truly pays off. Josh attended Webster Conservatory in St. Louis majoring in Musical Theater. Upon graduation he worked for Disney Cruise lines performing nightly to audiences aboard ship. He recently completed his third national tour which included “All Shook Up”, a show that just last year came through Denver.

He has worked very hard over the course of this decade of performing and enjoys the consequences of creating friendships with wonderful people in the entertainment industry. For more information about Josh, log onto his website at joshfranklin.net.

Tripp Fountain(’04 Lewis Palmer High School)

currently attends New York University majoring in Drama. He will be taking a leave of absence to perform in the National Broadway Touring Company of “Evita” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. He joins the leagues of Conservatory alumni that prove that hard work pays off. Tripp studied voice, theater, and composition at the conservatory as well as dance at the Colorado Jazz Dance Company in Colorado Springs. He enjoyed the fruits of those studies participating and begin awarded a variety of accolades to include awards in the Pikes Peak Young Composers association. He performed not only at his high school, but also at the Fine Arts Center as well. His entrance into the prestigious Tisch School at NYU was testament to his diligent studies and performance practice. He had recently worked on a Disney Cruise Line and had just this spring performed with the Gallery Players in Brooklyn in “Victor/Victoria”.

What is most thrilling is that his hometown audience will be able to witness first-hand his talent when “Evita” stops right here, at the Pikes Peak Center in October.