The Torrance Cultural Arts Commission has announced the winners of the 2026 Excellence in Arts Awards.
Celebrating its 48th year, this annual tradition will showcase entertaining performances and presentations on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. at Toyota Meeting Hall, 3330 Civic Center Dr. in Torrance. This is a free public event and there is no RSVP necessary to attend.
The winner of the Emerging Artist Award is Noel Takaya, who earned a bachelor’s in music at CSU Long Beach and is working toward her master’s in oboe performance at USC, where she regularly plays principal oboe and English horn with the USC Symphony, Wind Ensemble, and chamber ensembles and will soon make her Baroque oboe debut in the Early Music Ensemble.
In summers past, Noel has participated in the esteemed Hidden Valley Oboe Masterclass with Elaine Douvas, the RISE Film Scoring Orchestra led by Maestro Anthony Parnther, and Los Angeles Film Conducting Intensive’s Studio Intensive. In 2025, Noel was selected as a winner of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition and made her solo debut with the BCCM Orchestra last February performing the Mozart Oboe Concerto.
A frequent performer in the greater Los Angeles area, Noel has made appearances with the West Coast Wind Symphony, Millennial Choirs and Orchestras, Opera Italia, and Synesthesia Sinfonietta. She has performed at historic venues such as the Kennedy Center, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Eastwood Scoring Stage at Warner Bros., and the Streisand Scoring Stage at Sony Pictures.
Noel currently studies with Marion Kuszyk at USC and previously studied with Ted Sugata and Claire Brazeau at CSULB.
Awardees will also be recognized in the following categories:
Dance: Sabrina Manzi
Drama and Theatre Arts: Bradley Allen Lock
Katy Geissert Award: Regina Klenjoski
Literary Arts: Peter Lefevre
Music: Andy Hill and Renee Safier
Tom Rische Arts Education: North Torrance Youth Musicians Ensemble
Visual Arts and Design: Allison Zahorik
The Excellence in Arts Awards recognize artistic contributions to the cultural landscape of Torrance and celebrates individuals and organizations responsible for furthering the artistic and cultural identity for Torrance and the South Bay community. The Torrance Cultural Arts Commission is supported by the City of Torrance Cultural Services Division of the Community Services Department.