2022 NSAL Star Maker Awards

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Kay Renz

NSAL Star Maker Awards committee and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients

The National Society of Arts & Letters Florida has announced their 4th Annual Star Maker Awards will be held at The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum in Boca Raton on Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 6:30 pm.

During the event, NSAL scholarship and competition winners will perform, and Broadway legend Avery Sommers and piano virtuoso Lisa Leonard will be presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards for their tremendous contributions to the arts. Tickets for the event are $275 per person, including a gourmet 3 course dinner, open bar, and valet parking. visit www.nsalflorida.org for details.

“Supporting young artists early in their careers is more important than ever,” stated Dr. Ron Rubin, event chair. “These past two years have been devastating to the arts in general, but thanks to the generosity of our donors, NSAL has remained steadfast in our commitment to young local talent, providing them with the financial assistance required to advance their studies.”

The Star Maker Awards is a dazzling fundraiser featuring instrumental, vocal and musical theatre performances, along with stunning displays of artwork, by NSAL’s scholarship and competition winners.

This year’s national competition is in piano, and the winner of this chapter’s competition, Yance Zheng from Lynn Conservatory of Music, will receive a $2,000 prize, in addition to an all-expense paid trip to Chicago to compete in May for a $15,000 prize.

“With piano as this year’s national competition, we are thrilled that Lisa Leonard will be a recipient of our Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Judi Asselta, President of NSAL Florida. “She is an acclaimed soloist, chamber musician and educator, who astounds all who hear her play, and for those fortunate enough to be instructed by her, she is a wellspring of inspiration.”

Hailed as a pianist who “communicates deep artistic understanding through a powerful and virtuosic technique.” In 1990 at the age of 17, she made her debut with the National Symphony Orchestra in six concerts at the Kennedy Center. She has appeared throughout Europe, Japan, Russia, and North America with many orchestras including performances with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra, the Oregon Mozart Players, and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela with conductors including Gunther Schuller and Gustavo Dudamel. Leonard is currently the head of the Graduate Instrumental Collaborative Piano Program at Lynn University, where she also directs the annual New Music Festival, a week-long celebration of modern music which has presented more than fifty world premieres.

Two years ago, Broadway star Avery Sommers was to receive her Lifetime Achievement Award when Musical Theatre was the national competition, however, due to Covid, that event had to be postponed.

“We are thrilled that we can finally recognize Avery for her incredible career,” said Co-Chairperson, Shari Upbin, a close friend and professional colleague, who will present the Award to Avery. “She is a multitalented performer who has been nationally acclaimed for her powerhouse voice and onstage charisma. Whether she is singing or taking on a dramatic role, she always commands centerstage!”

Sommers starred on Broadway in the long running, critically acclaimed musicals, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Showboat, in addition to starring in the national tours of Chicago and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Independent film credits include the immigration lawyer Ms. Ravencourt in “Immigration Tango.” Her performance earned her a Best Supporting Actress Award at the 2010 Monaco International Film Festival. Avery was also nominated for Best Actress for the role of Danielle in the independent film Lost Everything filmed in South Florida.Sommers also has a tremendous following of jazz and blues fans who clamor to see her local shows and performances in New York City’s finest cabarets.

About NSAL:

NSAL aims to discover talented young people at the beginning of their careers and provides scholarships and competitions in art, dance, drama, literature, music and musical theatre, and works to advance their careers and creative opportunities. Excelling at the chapter level allows competitors to progress to national competitions and many stars have been discovered. Among these are Shirley MacLaine, actress/dancer/writer; Jessye Norman, opera singer; Megan Hilty, Broadway and television star; Awadagin Pratt, pianist; and Amanda McKerrow, prima ballerina, and opera star Nadine Sierra who was discovered through the Florida Chapter.

For more information about NSAL scholarships, competitions and how to become a supporter, please visit www.NSALFlorida.org