Junior Keyboardist Named a 2016 YoungArts Award Finalist

Luca—who’s in the Class of 2015-2017 Los Angeles Philharmonic Composer Fellowship Program—says he had no intention of being a finalist for the 2016 YoungArts Award when he sent in his audition. He simply wanted to play music with his friends.

“It seemed like a fun experience and a good way to practice submitting video auditions,” he said. “I was totally not expecting it, especially since college freshmen can apply as well. It’s a privilege.”

He was one of seven students selected as a finalist in the jazz category (keyboard was his instrument of choice)—and one of 12,000 who applied throughout the YoungArts Awards’ 10 categories. Only 165 students across the country were named finalists.

Luca’s “Arc-en-ciel”—for which he wrote lyrics (performed by fellow junior Veronica Pickard), composed music and handled orchestration—was a hit at the 2015 Upper School Holiday Concert last month. That was just one of many pieces the Crossroads lifer has created. At the age of 7, Luca wrote an opera about ducks.

By middle school, he started playing music at Crossroads and entered the Jazz “A” Band when he got to Upper School. Simultaneously, Luca has also played in the big band and several jazz combos for all levels at Colburn, and last year started composing classical music. Making his debut on the drums in “A” Band this past October, Luca is also well versed with hand percussion.

“Lots of hand percussion was a huge thing for me early on, and the Latin rhythms stuck with me,” he said. “I still have congas and a cajón set up in my living room, and recently made a recording where I played congas, djembe and all sorts of fun hand percussion like cowbells and agogos.”

Luca attributes his success with music to his parents, who instilled in him a love for it early on.

“My parents are both very musical, and the music that they were playing for me when I was really young has had a huge influence on me,” he said. “I was lucky that I was exposed to jazz so early, my dad being a jazz musician, because that little head start allowed me to play with older musicians who became mentors for me, musically and also just in life.”

As for the big YoungArts prize, Luca said he’s not focused on winning. He was mostly looking forward to playing with great musicians and meeting other finalists during the 35th annual National YoungArts Week held last month in Miami. Luca is just as excited to attend YoungArts Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

“Seeing the talent here is truly inspirational,” Luca said. “Every artist is unique, determined and very skilled.”

Crossroads senior Julia Gutierrez del Barrio was named a finalist in the YoungArts Award’s theater category. Read about her here.

Other 2016 Crossroads honorees include Max Hertz ’15, a freshman at the Rhode Island School of Design (honorable mention in the visual arts category); and junior Noah Simon (honorable mention for piano in the music category).