SamoHi Senior is a Semifinalist in The Music Center's Spotlight Program

Dilay Akcora, a senior at Santa Monica High, was just announced as a Semifinalist in The Music Center's annual Spotlight program. 

Spotlight is a free nationally-acclaimed scholarship and arts training program for teens," says Lisa Ducore, Director of Public Relations for the Music Center in DTLA.

Dilay Akcora began her musical training when she joined the Franklin Ave elementary school choir in 4th grade. She was also on the dance team.

At santa monica high school the Kiwanis 6F sponsored a musical scholarship that she was awarded. She won 1st place in her sophomore and junior year in the classical voice category. She played the lead Violet in "Sideshow" this past year.

Dilay has been vocally coached by Dianne Zaslove, and Jeffe Hulse, who is the choir master of the high school.

She placed in the top 110/ 1500 applicants and 1/16 in the classical voice section of the Music Center Spotlight Program.

The Music Center named 110 of Southern California's most talented high school students as semifinalists in The Music Center's 31st annual Spotlight program, a free nationally-acclaimed scholarship and arts training program for teens.  

The Music Center named semifinalists in each of seven categories, including acting, ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, non-classical voice, classical instrumental and jazz instrumental.

47,000 students have participated in Spotlight since its launch in 1988.

"An important part of The Music Center's fundamental support for arts education, Spotlight is more than a competition," wrote the music center in a press release. "Students work on the development of their performance abilities in numerous genres, learn about careers in arts management and receive valuable college preparedness and workforce readiness skills."

The 16 semi finalists will compete for a $5,000 scholarship and a chance to sing at the Walt Disney concert hall on June 4. Two will be chosen on March 24.