Young performers from Gulf Shores High School recently gathered at the Gulf Shores United Methodist Church Auditorium to rehearse and fine-tune their Talent Show acts.

This year’s Night of the Arts will feature an array of singers and instrumentalists, including soloists and bands. Seventeen budding artists will grace the show, which begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. so that attendees may enjoy hors d’oeuvres and view the other talent entries in art, photography, culinary and creative writing. Tickets are available at the GSHS Library and the Gulf Shores public library.

Distinguished judges for the show include:

Dr. Kadisha Onalbayeva

Awards include the Soviet Union’s New Talent competition, and, after graduating from the Jubanov School Kadisha entered the Kurmangazy National Conservatory of Music. She was awarded the President’s Award for Young Artists and Chevron’s Award for Talented Students in piano and composition.

Performing as recitalist, chamber musician, composer, and as an orchestral soloist, she received a Soros Prize for her work in development of international cultural exchanges. In August 2003, she came to the U.S. and earned a master of music in composition and a M.M. in piano performance from the University of New Orleans.

While there she won the Southeastern Composers’ League graduate composition competition for her solo cello work, Think…Know…After…. She received her DMA in piano performance at Louisiana State University.

Dr. Onalbayeva is on the faculties of Pensacola State College and the University of Mobile where she teaches piano and composition. She is also Artist-in-Residence at the University of Mobile and is co-director and pianist of the chamber ensemble The Gulf Coast Virtuosi. She is a Music Director /Organist at St. Monica Episcopal Church in Cantonment, Fla.

Johnny Fisher

Devoted to sustainability and local, fresh food, Fisher has spearheaded initiatives such as serving grass-fed beef, Baldwin County tomatoes and produce. Before coming back to the Alabama coast, the Mobile native worked 10 years with the House of Blues, one of the nation’s premier live music entertainment companies.

Fisher was on the opening team in New Orleans and Orlando and worked with a who’s who of musical legends like Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Elton John, Aerosmith and The Neville Brothers just to name a few. Johnny lives in Magnolia Springs with his wife Beth and daughters Julia and Sophia.

Anthony Crawford

Though Birmingham was his home, at a young age he found himself living in Nashville and performing live at Opryland, touring with the Sonny James Band, and doing television shows with Ralph Emery and Hee Haw.  After touring through out the Southeast playing various string instruments, his associations expanded to include tours with Neil Young, Shocking Pinks, Dwight Yoakam, the Pegi Young Band, Nicolette Larson and Blackhawk.

He played improvisational blues riffs on Neil’s “Tonight’s the Night” and “Speakin’ Out,’ and is known in the industry as a musical prodigy for his ability to play any instrument, including mandolin, banjo, fiddle, pedal steel, piano, guitar and drums.

Anthony has proved himself to be a gifted photographer as well, taking the album cover photo for Neil Young's “Chrome Dreams II,” and as a videographer _ releasing a new rockumentary titled, “On The Road With A Rock Star” that captures day to day life with Neil Young and the gang.

A prolific songwriter, Crawford has written more than 400 songs and had them recorded by artists such as Steve Winwood (Final Hour, Walking On), Pegi Young, Kenny Rogers, Lee Greenwood, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sawyer Brown,  Billy Burnett, and Lorrie Morgan.

    Having created several solo albums, his latest, "Five Is Red", is his proudest accomplishment to date. It is a true collaboration recorded with the band Everest who is Neil Young’s current opener, as well as Bo Koster from 'My Morning Jacket'.