AWARD WINNERS
Every year, the NSAL Arizona gives out monetary awards to winners in Dance (Classical Modern), Literature, Music (Voice), and soon, Visual Arts. On a four-year, rotating basis, we hold competitions in Dance, Drama, Instrumental Music, and Musical Theater. These chapter winners then compete for larger prize money at the national level.
At our Annual Awards Dinner, held in Phoenix each spring, we give out our Medallion of Merit Award – the highest honor bestowed by NSAL. This award pays tribute to an individual (or couple) whose lifetime commitment to the arts embodies the highest standards.
We also recognize Arizona leaders who are making an impact on our culture, family life, work, leisure, and/or education through the arts. We bestow Arts Advocacy Awards to a nonprofit individual and nonprofit group, in addition to our Arts Educator Award. On occasion, we’ll pay tribute to a deserving individual with our Lifetime Achievement Award.
Current Award Winners
2023 Chapter Competition Awards
Dorothy Lincoln-Smith Classical Voice Competition
Veronique Filloux, 1st Place Arizona and 3rd Place Winner in the 2023 Dorothy Lincoln-Smith Classical Voice Competition
Drama
Gustavo A. Flores, Arizona Chapter Drama 1st place winner.
He competed at the NSAL National level May 18-20, 2023, in Lexington, Kentucky and placed with an Honorable Mention.
Raymond Cusik, 2nd place 2023 Arizona Drama Winner
Kelly Hajek, 3rd place 2023 Arizona Drama Winner
2021 - 2022 Annual Awards
Arts Advocacy Award – Individual: Mollie C. Trivers
Mollie C. Trivers is the director of major gifts at ASU Gammage. At the historic Frank Lloyd Wright designed Gammage, the donor base has grown from 100 in the year 2000 to 1300 in 2020. She has secured over $7,000,000 in capital improvements for the venue.
Trivers has 40 years of experience in nonprofit and arts management. Among her accomplishments are serving on the founding staff for KBAQ, the NPR Classical Music Radio Station and Business Volunteers for the Arts. She was also the program director at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.
In addition to accomplishments in fundraising and donor relations, Trivers has over 30 years in grants management in the public sector at the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. Since 1995, she has served as the executive director of the Whiteman Foundation and the Whiteman 4G Foundation, founded for the fourth generation of Whitemans to be involved in philanthropy. She has served on the board of the Arizona Grantmakers Forum and the Collaborative Initiative to support mergers and acquisitions among nonprofits.
2021 - 2022 Chapter Competition Awards
Piano Competition: John Solaris
Dance Competition
John Solari, Piano NSALAZ
Rylee Kellar, 2021 Ballet Competition NSAL
Katie Tuchi, Classical Modern Dance NSALAZ
2020 Music (Classical Voice) Competition Winner:
Mary Kray
Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, mezzo-soprano, Mary Kray, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Northern Arizona University, where she studied with Deborah Raymond. She performed the roles of Third Lady in Mozart’s, Die Zauberflöte, Margaret in Adam Guettel’s, The Light in the Piazza, Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Principessa in Puccini’s, Suor Angelica.
Her oratorio performances include alto soloist in Bach’s, Magnificat, Vivaldi’s, Gloria, and Beethoven’s, Ninth Symphony. In 2018, Kray received an Encouragement Award in the Arizona District Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, and in 2019, she was a winner, advancing to the Rocky Mountain Regional level.
At NAU, Kray was a recipient of the Edgar Stone Award and the Nando Schellen Opera Singer of Promise Award (with an international panel of judges). She was awarded a substantial scholarship in 2019 to study in Oberaudorf, Germany at the Musiktheater Bavaria program.
2020 Dance (Classical Modern) Competition Winners:
1st Place: Caroline Young
2nd Place: Katie Tuchi
3rd Place: Tied – Axel Guadalupe Becerra Hernandez and Savaughnah Yohannes
Honorable Mention: Jada Randall
2020 Musical Theater Competition Winner:
1st Place: Haley Reed
Haley Kay Reed is an Arizona State University student in musical theatre. She has studied ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, contemporary, swing dance, and voice. Her awards have included: 2018 Jimmy Award Nominee, 2018 ASU Gammage High School Musical Theater Best Leading Actress Award, ariZoni nominee for best leading actress, NYA winner, and 2nd place in the NATS Musical Theater Competition.
Haley will be representing the NSAL Arizona in the 2020 national competition.
2019 Drama Competition Winner:
1st Place: Bethany Baca
2019 Literature Competition (Poetry) Award Winners:
High School Seniors:
1st Place: Robert Yalam
2nd Place: Katrina Ager
3rd Place: Justin Loo
Honorable Mention: Willa Kirsch-Stancliff, Helen Haber
High School Juniors:
1st Place: Shalyssa Burns
2nd Place: Emma Wymore
3rd Place: Ivann Guevara
