PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 2020
CONTACT:
Jennifer Crusco
Communications Assistant
jcrusco@holyangels.org
Vocalist Earns Scholarship for Berklee’s ‘Aspire’ Program
Demarest, NJ: When stellar soprano Juliana Dominguez had to decide between a sweet sixteen party and Berklee College of Music's summer “Aspire” performance program, Berklee was the obvious choice. Music is an integral part of life for this Academy of the Holy Angels junior, who earned acceptance to the five-week program and a $2,500 scholarship.
After the COVID-19 outbreak, Aspire was moved online. While Dominguez will not be traveling to Berklee’s Boston campus, she will be very busy.
“I will be learning about songwriting, stage performance, vocal health, recording in the studio, and producing music,” Dominguez explained. “I want to pursue music in college. I want to make albums, write and produce my own music, and reach people’s hearts through my music the way my favorite artists have reached mine.”
This is the second time Dominguez will be participating in a Berklee program. During the summer of 2019, she was curious about Aspire, but wanted to see what Berklee was like before making a five-week commitment. She gave Berklee a test drive by attending the college’s three-day 2019 Stage Performance Workshop.
“It was very short, but I met a lot of incredibly talented people there,” she said. “I was surrounded by what felt like the next generation’s big stars. I learned a lot about performing on a stage and controlling my nerves before getting on stage. I learned about making the audience feel connected with me and looking at each audience member in the eyes.”
Days after the workshop, Dominguez traveled to Ecuador to attend a family funeral. While she was away, she learned that Berklee had presented her with an award in recognition of her outstanding work. She asked her mother about attending the 2020 Aspire program, and opted to forego her sweet sixteen party to smooth the path.
During her sophomore and junior years at Holy Angels, this focused teen has spent her weekends studying at the Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege Division. Her courses at MSM have included musical theater, ear training, music theory, and an opera workshop.
Recently, she has been mixing and recording vocals at home. Her interest in production led her to research the availability of related college programs. Dominguez discovered Berklee while searching for options with her mother and brother.
Dominguez has loved music since she was a baby. At home, she would listen to Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli, and sing along with them. Dominguez said her brother’s singing inspired her to join the choir at the Academy of Saint Joseph of the Palisades in West New York. She was in kindergarten at the time.
By age 11, she had begun her vocal training. Her authentic style demonstrates emotion and talent across various musical genres. She has sung with the prestigious Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and was nominated to the High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. She has finished at the top of two vocal competitions, placing in the top 10 among 150 competitors at the NJ 101.5 Talent Show.
At the Academy of the Holy Angels, Dominguez studies with AHA Choral Director Lisa Marciano. She sings with the Concert Choir, the Music Makers, and the select a cappella Vocal Ensemble. She is adept at harmonizing with the other vocalists and at presenting riveting solos.
She is a member of the Tri-M Music National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society. She pursues Advanced Placement Spanish, and has received bronze and silver medals for her work on the national Spanish exam. As a member of Art for the Community, she designs art works and decorations for a local religious order. She is active with the Ujieres de San José de los Palisades Spanish Church service group, and has given her time to local Breakfast with Santa and Movie Night events.
Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1879, the Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private girls’ school in Bergen County. While AHA is steeped in Catholic tradition, this prestigious high school serves young women from a broad spectrum of cultural and religious backgrounds. Over time, thousands of women have passed through AHA’s portals. Many go on to study at some of the nation’s best universities, earning high-ranking positions in medicine, government, law, education, public service, business, arts, and athletics. The Academy’s current leaders continue to further the SSND mission to provide each student with the tools she needs to reach the fullness of her potential—spiritually, intellectually, socially, and physically, by offering a first-rate education in a nurturing environment where equal importance is placed on academic excellence, character development, moral integrity, and service to others.