National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts
Encyclopedia
The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (known by the acronym NFAA) honors the most talented high school seniors, or, more specifically, American students in the 17-18 year-old age bracket, in the performing, visual and literary arts through the YoungArts program (formerly known as the acronym ARTS). The YoungArts program is considered by many to be the most prestigious arts competition for young adults; it is the exclusive nominating organization for the Presidential Scholars of the Arts.
NFAA was founded in 1981 by the late Ted Arison
, founder of Carnival Cruise Lines
, and his wife Lin Arison, with a mission to identify emerging artists and assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development; and to raise the appreciation for, and support of, the arts in American society.
Students submit DVD’s, CD’s, digital portfolios, or writing samples depending upon their chosen discipline(s). The materials are judged by arts professionals and university educators in mid-November and award levels are announced on December 1.
Using a completely blind judging process and a standard-of-excellence-based adjudication system, YoungArts selects between 600-800 students for recognition and awards more than $500,000 in cash each year. Colleges, universities, and conservatories offer an additional $3 million in scholarships to students who register for YoungArts.
Students who rank in the Top 3% of the registrants receive an Honorable Mention Award of $250. In 2007, a total of 185 students received Honorable Mention Awards.
For the 2007 NFAA YoungArts program, 141 students were designated as National Finalists and were invited to attend YoungArts Week in Miami, Florida
all expenses paid during the second week of January. YoungArts Week, Jan. 7-13, 2008, provides the Finalists with a series of master classes, showcase performances, exhibitions, readings, interviews, interdisciplinary activities, enrichment programs, and final, live auditions which determined their award level. Each National Finalist is placed in one of six levels of excellence with a corresponding cash award:
The approximately 20-40 students chosen as Gold and Silver award winners participate in a second YoungArts week in late spring. Held in New York, the week culminates in several performances of an interdisciplinary show.
YoungArts finalists are able to work with phenomenal master teachers as part of both YoungArts weeks. Notable master teachers include Edward Albee
, Liv Ullmann
, Frank Gehry
, Placido Domingo
, Vanessa Williams
, Raul Esparza
, and Mikhail Baryshnikov
.
which is governed by the Commission on Presidential Scholars for the selection of Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Up to sixty (60) NFAA YoungArts Week National Finalists are nominated to the Commission after YoungArts Week. These nominees submit additional candidacy materials to the Presidential Scholars Program by mid-February. The Commission selects twenty (20) YoungArts Winners as the Presidential Scholars in the Arts.
The YoungArts Scholars join 121 Scholars chosen for academic excellence and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC in June where they are honored by the President in a White House
Ceremony. The Scholars in the performing arts are featured in the Salute to the Presidential Scholars at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
. The works of the Scholars in the visual and literary arts are exhibited at a national gallery for the month of June.
Only high school seniors are eligible. Finalists in college cannot participate.
NFAA publishes the YoungArts magazine three times each year and distributes it to high schools and teachers nationwide. YoungArts details the accomplishments of artists who have been honored by YoungArts over the years and gives an inside look into the organization and its programs. All issues of YoungArts are available for viewing on the YoungArts website, [www.YoungArts.org].
NFAA also produces an annual Educators Conference during YoungArts Week for high school teachers who want to enhance their skills at preparing their students for the college audition/interview process. The conference brings teachers together with admissions representatives of the nation’s leading arts schools for discussions and presentations.
Several documentaries have been produced highlighting this unique program and its extremely talented award recipients. Most notably, Rehearsing a Dream
, produced by the Simon and Goodman Picture Company, was nominated for the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
. A documentary series entitled Masterclass
, a documentary program involving these students and famous mentors, is also scheduled to air on HBO.
Notable NFAA ARTS award winners include:
In 2006 as part of its 25th anniversary celebration, NFAA created an NFAA YoungArts Alumni Award which is given to a former winner in recognition of significant contributions and professional success in her/his chosen art form. The award carries a $5,000 stipend to the charity of the recipient’s choice. The first Alumni Award was presented to Vanessa Williams
and the second to best-selling author Allegra Goodman
in 2007.
and the International Thespian Society
; Music Teachers National Association
; the ACT-SO competition of the NAACP ; the Spotlight Awards of the Los Angeles Music Center
; the National Forensic League
and the National Speech and Debate Tournament
; Young Playwrights, Inc.; and the Sphinx Competition
among others.
NFAA also partners with several organizations to offer summer exclusive summer internship opportunities to YoungArts award winners including the Sundance Theatre Lab and the Utah Shakespearean Festival
.
NFAA was founded in 1981 by the late Ted Arison
Ted Arison
Ted Arison was an Israeli-American businessman who co-founded Norwegian Cruise Lines in 1966 with Knut Kloster and founded Carnival Cruise Lines in 1972....
, founder of Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
, and his wife Lin Arison, with a mission to identify emerging artists and assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development; and to raise the appreciation for, and support of, the arts in American society.
YoungArts disciplines
YoungArts accepts registrations in nine disciplines:- Cinematic Arts – animationAnimationAnimation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, narrative, and non-narrative - DanceDanceDance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
– balletBalletBallet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, jazz danceJazz danceJazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
, tapTap danceTap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
, modern danceModern danceModern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
, choreographyChoreographyChoreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
, and world dance forms - JazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
– compositionMusical compositionMusical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
and instrumental - MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
– composition and instrumental - PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
– color, black & white, digital, silver process, etc. - Theater – spoken and musical
- Visual ArtsVisual artsThe visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
– paintingPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, drawingDrawingDrawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, sculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, multi-media, ceramicsCeramic artIn art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
, scenic designScenic designScenic design is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers have traditionally come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but nowadays, generally speaking, they are trained professionals, often with M.F.A...
, costume designCostume designCostume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
, fashion designFashion designFashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
, jewelry, among others - VoiceVoiceVoice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice , a 2005 South Korean film* The Voice , a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal...
– classical, jazz, and popular - WritingWritingWriting is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
– poetryPoetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, short storyShort storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, novelNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, creative non-fiction, playwriting/scriptwriting
Eligibility and requirements
YoungArts is open to American students or students who have residency status. Students must either be in their senior year of high school or age 17-18 on December 1 to be eligible for YoungArts. High school juniors of any age are not eligible until their senior year. High school seniors and college students who have not yet turned 17 are also eligible. Registrations are due by October 1 each year and audition/portfolio materials must be received at NFAA headquarters by November 5. Students register for the program online at [www.YoungArts.org]. Parents, students, and teachers may review the requirements in each discipline at the website: http://www.YoungArts.orgStudents submit DVD’s, CD’s, digital portfolios, or writing samples depending upon their chosen discipline(s). The materials are judged by arts professionals and university educators in mid-November and award levels are announced on December 1.
Using a completely blind judging process and a standard-of-excellence-based adjudication system, YoungArts selects between 600-800 students for recognition and awards more than $500,000 in cash each year. Colleges, universities, and conservatories offer an additional $3 million in scholarships to students who register for YoungArts.
Awards
Students who rank in the Top 5% of the registrants receive a Merit Award of $100. In 2007, a total of 323 students received Merit Awards.Students who rank in the Top 3% of the registrants receive an Honorable Mention Award of $250. In 2007, a total of 185 students received Honorable Mention Awards.
For the 2007 NFAA YoungArts program, 141 students were designated as National Finalists and were invited to attend YoungArts Week in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
all expenses paid during the second week of January. YoungArts Week, Jan. 7-13, 2008, provides the Finalists with a series of master classes, showcase performances, exhibitions, readings, interviews, interdisciplinary activities, enrichment programs, and final, live auditions which determined their award level. Each National Finalist is placed in one of six levels of excellence with a corresponding cash award:
- Gold Award $10,000
- Silver Award $5,000
- Level I Award $3,000
- Level II Award $1,500
- Level III Award $1,000
- Level IV Award $500
The approximately 20-40 students chosen as Gold and Silver award winners participate in a second YoungArts week in late spring. Held in New York, the week culminates in several performances of an interdisciplinary show.
YoungArts finalists are able to work with phenomenal master teachers as part of both YoungArts weeks. Notable master teachers include Edward Albee
Edward Albee
Edward Franklin Albee III is an American playwright who is best known for The Zoo Story , The Sandbox , Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and a rewrite of the screenplay for the unsuccessful musical version of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's . His works are considered well-crafted, often...
, Liv Ullmann
Liv Ullmann
Liv Johanne Ullmann is a Norwegian actress and film director, as well as one of the "muses" of the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman...
, Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
, Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, Vanessa Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
, Raul Esparza
Raúl Esparza
Raúl Eduardo Esparza is an American stage actor, singer, and voice artist noted for his award winning performances in Broadway shows...
, and Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
.
Presidential Scholars Program
Since 1982, NFAA YoungArts has also been the exclusive nominating organization to the Presidential Scholars ProgramPresidential Scholars Program
The United States Presidential Scholars Program is the highest possible honor for graduating high school seniors in the United States of America....
which is governed by the Commission on Presidential Scholars for the selection of Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Up to sixty (60) NFAA YoungArts Week National Finalists are nominated to the Commission after YoungArts Week. These nominees submit additional candidacy materials to the Presidential Scholars Program by mid-February. The Commission selects twenty (20) YoungArts Winners as the Presidential Scholars in the Arts.
The YoungArts Scholars join 121 Scholars chosen for academic excellence and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC in June where they are honored by the President in a White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Ceremony. The Scholars in the performing arts are featured in the Salute to the Presidential Scholars at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
. The works of the Scholars in the visual and literary arts are exhibited at a national gallery for the month of June.
Only high school seniors are eligible. Finalists in college cannot participate.
Other programs and activities
NFAA also produces a production highlighting its Silver and Gold award winners in New York City each spring. Most recently, NFAA produced 'In the Studio' at the Baryshnikov Arts Center.NFAA publishes the YoungArts magazine three times each year and distributes it to high schools and teachers nationwide. YoungArts details the accomplishments of artists who have been honored by YoungArts over the years and gives an inside look into the organization and its programs. All issues of YoungArts are available for viewing on the YoungArts website, [www.YoungArts.org].
NFAA also produces an annual Educators Conference during YoungArts Week for high school teachers who want to enhance their skills at preparing their students for the college audition/interview process. The conference brings teachers together with admissions representatives of the nation’s leading arts schools for discussions and presentations.
Several documentaries have been produced highlighting this unique program and its extremely talented award recipients. Most notably, Rehearsing a Dream
Rehearsing a Dream
Rehearsing a Dream is a short documentary directed and produced by four time Academy Award nominees Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon. Cinematography by Buddy Squires and Steve McCarthy, edited by Nancy Baker and a Production of Simon & Goodman Picture Company. The film premiered on HBO in August 2007...
, produced by the Simon and Goodman Picture Company, was nominated for the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
This is a list of films by year that have received an Oscar together with the other nominations for best documentary short subject. Following the Academy's practice, the year listed for each film is the year of release: the awards are announced and presented early in the following year.-1940s:*1941...
. A documentary series entitled Masterclass
Masterclass (TV series)
Masterclass is a nine-part documentary television series airing on Home Box Office . Each half-hour episode documents the experience of a small group of young artists working with a famous mentor. The series premiered on HBO on April 18, 2010 with opera star Plácido Domingo working with three...
, a documentary program involving these students and famous mentors, is also scheduled to air on HBO.
Previous winners
In the past 30 years NFAA YoungArts has honored more than 12,000 artists with $6.4 million in cash awards.Notable NFAA ARTS award winners include:
- Alison LohmanAlison LohmanAlison Marion Lohman is an American actress. She has had lead roles in the films White Oleander, Where the Truth Lies, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Flicka and Drag Me to Hell as well as smaller parts in Matchstick Men, Big Fish, Gamer, and Beowulf...
, Actress - Kerry WashingtonKerry WashingtonKerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
, Actress - Terence BlanchardTerence BlanchardTerence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and film score composer. Since he emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then shortly thereafter with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard has been a leading artist in jazz...
, jazz trumpeter and film composer - Allegra GoodmanAllegra GoodmanAllegra Goodman is an American author based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her most recent novel, The Cookbook Collector, was published in 2010. Goodman wrote and illustrated her first novel at the age of seven. -Early years and family:...
. National Book Award nominated writer - Kimiko Glenn, actress in first national tour of Spring AwakeningSpring AwakeningSpring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...
- Denyce GravesDenyce GravesDenyce Graves is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer.-Early life:Graves was born on March 7, 1964, to Charles Graves and Dorothy Graves-Kenner. She is the middle of three children and was raised by her mother on Galveston Street, S.W., in the Bellevue section of Washington...
, opera singer - Josh GrobanJosh GrobanJoshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
, pop vocalist - Roy HargroveRoy HargroveRoy Anthony Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter. He won worldwide notice after winning two Grammy Awards for differing types of music, in 1997, and in 2002...
, jazz trumpeter - Jennifer KohJennifer KohJennifer Koh is an American violinist, born to Korean parents in Glen Ellyn, IL.Jennifer Koh earned a B.A. in English Literature from Oberlin College, as well as a Performance Diploma from the attached Oberlin Conservatory. She is also a graduate of the Curtis Institute and was silver medalist in...
, violinist - Phillip Neal, principal dancer with New York City Ballet
- Eric OwensEric OwensEric Owens may refer to:*Eric Owens *Eric Owens *Eric Owens...
, opera singer - Jared PadaleckiJared PadaleckiJared Tristan Padalecki is an American actor. He grew up in Texas and came to fame in the early 2000s after appearing on the television series Gilmore Girls as well as in several Hollywood films, including New York Minute and House of Wax...
, actor currently starring on the television series Supernatural - Desmond RichardsonDesmond RichardsonDesmond Richardson is co-founder and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He has mastered a wide range of dance forms including classical, modern, and contemporary.- Life and career :...
, modern dancer and choreographer - Matthew Rushing, principal dancer with Alvin Ailey
- Linda Sims, principal dancer with Alvin Ailey
- Vanessa L. WilliamsVanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
, Grammy and Tony awardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominated singer-actor - Doug AitkenDoug Aitken-Early life and career:Doug Aitken was born in Redondo Beach, California in 1968. In 1987, he initially studied magazine illustration with Philip Hays at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena before graduating in Fine Arts in 1991. He moved to New York in 1994 where he had his first solo...
, nationally renowned visual artist - Lauren GreenfieldLauren GreenfieldLauren Greenfield is an American artist, documentary photographer, and documentary filmmaker. She has published three monographs of her photographic work, directed four documentary films, exhibited her photographic prints in museums throughout the world, and had her work published in a variety of...
, independent photographer and filmmaker - Raul EsparzaRaúl EsparzaRaúl Eduardo Esparza is an American stage actor, singer, and voice artist noted for his award winning performances in Broadway shows...
, Broadway actor-singer - Nancy FalkowNancy FalkowNancy Falkow is an American singer/songwriter and musician from Philadelphia.-Biography:Falkow grew up in Margate, New Jersey as part of a Jewish family and at sixteen took first prize for writing in the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.After graduating high school in 1988, she...
, singer / songwriter - Ida Saki, Dancer, appeared notably on So You Think You Can Dance - Season 7
- Nathan Trasoras, finalist on So You Think You Can Dance- Season 6
- Conrad TaoConrad TaoConrad Tao is an American composer, pianist and violinist. Tao's piano performances since childhood brought him early recognition at music festivals, competitions and with symphony orchestras. He has been featured on the PBS TV series From the Top – Live from Carnegie Hall as violinist, pianist...
, composer, pianist and violinist
Arison & Alumni Award
At its annual end-of-YoungArts Week fundraising event, An Affair of the Arts Performance and Gala, NFAA bestows the Arison Award on an individual who has a national reputation for helping young artists. The award carries a $10,000 donation to the recipient’s charity of choice. The Arison Award is named for NFAA’s founders Lin, and the late Ted Arison and has been presented to:- Quincy JonesQuincy JonesQuincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
(2001) - Jacques d'Amboise (2002)
- Roberta GuaspariRoberta GuaspariRoberta Guaspari is an American violinist and music teacher in Harlem, New York.-Early life:Roberta grew up in a working-class family in Rome, New York. She graduated with a music education degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1969...
(2003) - Placido DomingoPlácido DomingoPlácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
(2004) - Mikhail BaryshnikovMikhail BaryshnikovMikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
(2005) - Michael Tilson ThomasMichael Tilson ThomasMichael Tilson Thomas is an American conductor, pianist and composer. He is currently music director of the San Francisco Symphony, and artistic director of the New World Symphony Orchestra.-Early years:...
(2006) - Dave BrubeckDave BrubeckDavid Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
(2007) - Frank Gehry Frank GehryFrank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
(2008) - James RosenquistJames RosenquistJames Rosenquist is an American artist and one of the protagonists in the pop-art movement.-Background and education:...
(2009) - Liv UllmannLiv UllmannLiv Johanne Ullmann is a Norwegian actress and film director, as well as one of the "muses" of the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman...
(2010) - Bill T JonesBill T. JonesBill T. Jones is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer.-Early life:Jones was born in Bunnell, Florida and his family moved North as part of the Great Migration in the first half of the twentieth century. They settled in Wayland, New York, where Jones attended Wayland High School...
(2011)
In 2006 as part of its 25th anniversary celebration, NFAA created an NFAA YoungArts Alumni Award which is given to a former winner in recognition of significant contributions and professional success in her/his chosen art form. The award carries a $5,000 stipend to the charity of the recipient’s choice. The first Alumni Award was presented to Vanessa Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
and the second to best-selling author Allegra Goodman
Allegra Goodman
Allegra Goodman is an American author based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her most recent novel, The Cookbook Collector, was published in 2010. Goodman wrote and illustrated her first novel at the age of seven. -Early years and family:...
in 2007.
Partnering Organizations
YoungArts has partnerships with numerous affiliated organizations including the Educational Theatre AssociationEducational Theatre Association
The Educational Theatre Association , founded in 1929, is the professional association for theatre education. EdTA’s mission is to make theatre a part of lifelong learning...
and the International Thespian Society
International Thespian Society
The International Thespian Society is an honorary organization for high-school and middle-school theatre students located at more than 3,600 affiliated secondary schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad. The International Thespian Society was founded in Fairmont, West Virginia...
; Music Teachers National Association
Music Teachers National Association
-Membership:Its membership consists of approximately 22,000 independent and collegiate music teachers. MTNA headquarters are in downtown Cincinnati on the 31st floor of the Carew Tower.- MTNA structure :...
; the ACT-SO competition of the NAACP ; the Spotlight Awards of the Los Angeles Music Center
Los Angeles Music Center
The Music Center is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the Music Center is home to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theater, Mark Taper Forum and Walt Disney Concert Hall...
; the National Forensic League
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
and the National Speech and Debate Tournament
National Speech and Debate Tournament
The National Speech and Debate Tournament is a week-long high school championship forensics competition hosted by the National Forensic League...
; Young Playwrights, Inc.; and the Sphinx Competition
Sphinx Organization
The Sphinx Organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of young Black and Latino classical musicians. Based in Detroit, Michigan, it was founded by the American violinist Aaron Dworkin...
among others.
NFAA also partners with several organizations to offer summer exclusive summer internship opportunities to YoungArts award winners including the Sundance Theatre Lab and the Utah Shakespearean Festival
Utah Shakespearean Festival
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is a festival of repertory productions of the works of William Shakespeare and other dramatists. The Festival is held during the summer and fall on the campus of Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah.-Awards:...
.