Celebrating Alumni in the Arts

Alumni Appreciation Month at Claire Trevor School of the Arts

August marks Alumni Appreciation Month at UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA). This initiative honors the achievements of graduates in the fields of art, dance, drama and music. This year, we are excited to highlight alumni who range from Emmy-winning production designers and honored art curators to dedicated music educators and so much more. Each of these individuals embodies the creative engine and tools CTSA aims to impart to all students.

The stories and accomplishments of these exceptional ARTeaters will be shared on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. We invite you to explore these alumni spotlights and connect with their inspiring journeys.

Alumni highlights include:

Brian Gonzalez '11 (B.F.A. Dance Performance, minor in Psychology and Social Behavior), an Emmy-winning supervising producer for Netflix’s Instant Dream Home, who transitioned from dance to a successful career in television production.

Sophia Vangelatos '21 (B.F.A. Dance Performance, B.F.A. Dance Choreography, B.A. Business Economics), is a Chicago-based dancer and choreographer, who serves as a company artist with Hedwig Dances.

Andrew Samonsky '03 (M.F.A. Acting), is a celebrated Broadway actor whose credits include Lempicka, South Pacific and The Bridges of Madison County.

Darcy Prevost '09 (M.F.A. Set Design), an Emmy-winning production designer known for her work on Disney+’s Muppets Haunted Mansion and Earth to Ned.

Allan Laiño, D.M.A. (M.F.A. '09, Choral Conducting), is an American prize-winning conductor and educator, who has conducted at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.

Read more about Claire Trevor School of the Arts alumni at arts.uci.edu/news/alumni. For more arts alumni resources at UCI, visit arts.uci.edu/alumni.