On March 16, the Orange County (OC) Register announced Oxford seniors Cameron Oates, Xabrina Kroll, and Aditri Harish and junior Nathan Nguyen as four of the 923 nominees for the 12th annual Artist of the Year competition. Funded this year by the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the program presents categories from dance to media arts and vets teachers’ nominations for juniors and seniors with exemplary creative skills.
Instrumental music nominee Oates has a unique history with violin, having swapped piano for it out of boredom at five years old. After nine years of dedication, he performed with his mother at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. He’s also organized concerts for the charity Olive Crest, raising over $7,500 for foster children and families in need.
“[Practicing] speaks a lot about discipline, just putting in the time and effort when you really don’t want to,” Oates said. “That definitely does a lot more for me and how successfully I’ve been able to perform and compete.”
Similarly, a friend in Oxford’s band sparked Kroll’s interest in clarinet. Over time, her engagement freed her to pursue piano and saxophone.
“[Xabrina’s] determination and grit have allowed her to improve at an extremely fast rate,” band director Mr. Harlan said to the OC Register. “She continues to seek out more opportunities to improve and…demonstrate excellence.”
Kroll added that “being able to bond with [her] section and grow with them” made practicing important to her.
Nguyen suddenly bonded with the trombone in fifth grade. He pursued it more fiercely at Oxford, joining Symphony Orchestra in ninth grade and later leading the pep band.
“I think [Symphony Orchestra] forced me to treat practicing with more intention,” he said. “As I got better at playing the trombone, I…became more interested.”
Outside of school, Nguyen played in the 2025 California All-State Ensemble, which allows Californian band students to audition for a concert in Sacramento. His carefully built devotion earned him these high recognitions and a deeper connection to the student body.
Like Nguyen, vocal music nominee Harish has always enjoyed singing, having competed from a young age. Her success shaped her path to Oxford’s choir, where her perspective on performance changed as she played Nina in this year’s production of In the Heights. She noted the differences between a typical solo act and the attention to detail her role demanded, and how she would use those lessons elsewhere.
“I really prioritized technique and all these minor details that I probably would’ve never gone into depth on if it was just a normal solo,” Harish said.
Harish aims to perform in college and beyond, while Kroll sets her sights on community bands and Nguyen hopes to later join a college ensemble. Oates was accepted to Boston University for music, but hasn’t chosen a college track.
While the nominees didn’t win, their achievements still elevate them to the top 1% of Orange County student creatives. Chapman University’s Memorial Hall will host an awards ceremony on May 7.
