Young Artists of America’s
Alumni Advisory Board is made up of YAA alumni dedicated to giving back to the organization that gave them so much in their formative years. Member of our Alumni Advisory Board are currently students and professionals in the fields of music, education, media, business and more.

Interested in joining our Alumni Advisory Board?
Contact our Alumni Coordinator, Edima Essien.

Kathryn Bailey, ‘14 is a voice instructor and assistant vocal director for Young Artists of America, along with being a proud alumna! She graduated from James Madison University with her Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Education, and has done several administrative and performance internships with arts organizations in Virginia and Maryland, including with YAA and the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Chorus. Kathryn spends her days an elementary school General Music Teacher in Montgomery County, and her nights as a free-lance music director, accompanist, and conductor in the DMV area.

Ian Coursey, ‘20 is currently a freshman at the University of Michigan pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Music Composition. Ian was a part of YAA for most of his high school experience and he is thrilled to be a part of the Alumni Advisory Board! He is very excited to give back to the YAA community after all of the opportunities they have given him.

Edima Essien, ‘16 is currently a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park as a Creative and Performing Arts Scholar in the Bachelor of the Arts Theatre program, minoring in Arts Leadership. She has used her multifaceted interest in the arts to work with various organizations within the Maryland and DC area as a performer, teaching artist, collaborator, and administrator. Edima is grateful for her time as a student in Young Artists of America and she is excited to be back serving on the Alumni Advisory Board.

Annie Fang, ‘15 is a Philadelphia-based actor. Most recent (pre-pandemic) projects include Man of God (InterAct Theatre) and SHIP (Azuka Theatre), but she is currently working on some exciting virtual Philly Fringe pieces: 154 Revisited (Revolution Shakespeare), Crossover (GLG Productions), and play/paint/pass (IGWBT Theatre Co). Annie looks forward to engaging with the YAA community again!

Julia Fanzeres, ‘16 is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She earned dual-degrees in Political Science and Vocal Performance from the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. During her time at Michigan, Julia performed in several productions including In The Heights (MUSKET), Candide (University Productions) and Baby Shower (a contemporary studio opera). She has now pivoted to journalism where she is working for Bloomberg News as a reporter. Julia is incredibly thankful for all of the opportunities and lifelong friendships YAA provided her in high school and she is eager to join the Alumni Advisory Board.

Ari Goldbloom-Helzner, ‘16 is a recent graduate of Brown University where he studied Music and Applied Mathematics and was intimately involved in the musical theater program. Inspired by his experience with Young Artists of America, Ari has explored music direction, orchestration, conducting, and producing along with performance. He is excited to serve on the Alumni Advisory Board and teach voice for YAA's Educational Program.

Rachel Hahn, ‘15 graduated from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a B.M Vocal Performance and a minor in Psychology ('19) where she studied under the guidance of Patty Thom.  This fall, Rachel was a part of Potomac Vocal Institute's Professional Development Gap Year Program with Rolando Sanz and Elizabeth Bishop. She was also the intern for The Kennedy Center and Washington National Opera’s Cafritz Young Artists Program. This spring she was the Special Events intern for Washington Concert Opera before it was cut short by Covid. She also completed a Professional Vocal Pedagogy Workshop with the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Rachel treasured her time with YAA and is excited to serve on the inaugural Alumni Advisory Board.

Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf, ‘14 is a Broadway producer, entrepreneur, and HR professional currently working for The New York Times. She made her Broadway producing debut as a co-producer on Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune starring Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon. Jamie earned her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University double majoring in Theatre and Sociology with certificates in Marketing, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship.

Aliya Klein, ‘18 is a junior at Williams College and is majoring in Political Economy and Religion. She is a former director of the Williams College sketch comedy club Frosh Revue, and she has played viola in the pit orchestra of three schoolwide productions so far. Her passions include musical theatre and comedy, which have led her to be a part of many production and directing teams.

Isaiah Shim, ‘11 was recently appointed as Conducting Fellow with Montgomery Philharmonic. He also serves as assistant conductor of Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras Philharmonic, assistant conductor and rehearsal pianist for Young Artists of America, and performs throughout the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. He studied conducting, piano, and music education at the Peabody and Wheaton College Conservatories.

Alex Stone, ‘15 is just a guy from McLean, VA making a living as an actor, singer, dancer, teacher, film actor, voice actor, whatever! He is a graduate of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as a Musical Theatre major. Alex is thrilled to be back working with Young Artists of America on the Alumni Advisory Board and cannot wait to help create some awesome work.