Could this 16-year-old Miami talent competition winner be the next Elton John?

How do you deem a teen’s exciting instrumental composition the best of the best over an exquisite harmony vocal performance? Or over a timely spoken word performance of female empowerment that could give “Barbie” script writers a run for the Oscar? Or over an achingly detailed solo cello performance or a rock band of high schoolers covering a rousing ‘80s hit that bested Bon Jovi’s original?

You do so with years of experience observing the arts — and sometimes with some lively judges’ dressing room debate among seasoned Miami-area professionals.

Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, together with presenting sponsor The Children’s Trust, announced the 2024 winners of the 14th annual Young Talent Big Dreams, a local, free youth talent competition that has spread its search across Miami-Dade County every year since 2010.

For Young Talent Big Dreams, students, ages 8 to 18, living in Miami-Dade, are invited to compete in nine categories that tap their talents. The competition features six individual categories: pop/rock/rap vocals, musical theater/jazz standards/classical vocals, dance, musical instrument, original spoken word, and original vocal and/or instrumental composition. There are also three group categories for dance, musical instrument/bands, and vocal groups.

A three-month marathon of preliminary and semifinal competitions at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay and Sandrell Rivers Theater in Liberty City that drew hundreds of contestants culminated in the finals at the Miracle on Saturday, May 11. Prizes include cash awards, master classes with industry professionals, performance opportunities and performing arts scholarships.

The finals competition, after a series of audition rounds that began in March, was held on the Actors’ Playhouse stage at The Miracle Theatre.

As a volunteer judge for Young Talent Big Dreams since the “Star Search”-styled competition’s inception 14 years ago, it would sound like a disservice to previous winners who have gone on to perform at community events and who have pursued their artistic fields nationally, to call the 2024 finalists the best of the bunch.

So I’ll just say that while watching the evening’s grand prize winner pounding the piano with a rousing tune he wrote — while doing almost everything to that piano to entertain an audience except playing it upside down — I was reminded of a historic moment in pop music history.

In May 1970, Robert Hilburn, the influential pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times, wrote a review that British pianist-songwriter Elton John, now 77, credits with giving him his break in the United States. Hilburn’s opening paragraph in that now legendary review began: “Rejoice. Rock music, which has been going through a rather uneventful period lately, has a new star. He’s Elton John, a 23-year-old Englishman whose United States debut Tuesday night at the Troubadour was, in almost every way, magnificent.”

As Gerry Ibarra, a 16-year-old from Terra Environmental Research Institute in the Kendall area, delivered his exhilarating piano performance of his original piece entitled, “Rat Race,” I flashed back to the fancifully staged scene in the Elton John biopic movie, “Rocketman.” That image showed the future superstar levitating at his piano at the L.A. music club as Hilburn’s review flashed across the screen.

This kid was good. Better than good. We were seeing some of the best of the best young talent Miami has to offer. After the obligatory judges’ stage pose with the winners, I leaned over toward Gerry and whispered, “You ever hear of Elton John?”

The young musician and composer didn’t break his smile or waves to the audience of family, educators and arts-enthusiasts. Gerry has heard of the older star. He liked the compliment.

Gerry was crowned the Original Composition Winner and the Overall Grand Prize Champion by four judges: David Arisco, artistic director, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Shamele Jenkins, artistic director of Lip, Tongue & Ear Poetry Productions and executive director/immediate past president of the Miami-Dade County Foster & Adoptive Parent Association; Ruby Romero-Issaev, executive director/CEO of Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida; and yours truly, a 33-year veteran Miami Herald reporter with a background in pop music and theater criticism.

Gerry received $500 cash provided by Actors’ Playhouse, and four tickets to Universal Orlando along with a hotel stay for two nights courtesy of WSVN-7News.

“Actors’ Playhouse is immensely proud of the role that we have played in nurturing young performers for over 35 years, including the past 14 years through the Young Talent Big Dreams competition,” said Barbara Stein, executive producing director of Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre. “It is exhilarating to watch these young talents shine.”

Adds James Haj, president and CEO of co-presenter, The Children’s Trust: “We believe in investing in developing skills and talent in Miami-Dade County’s youth, and Young Talent Big Dreams is one way we do so. Through various partnerships across the community, we are able to provide more opportunities for children to engage in the arts and create a community where creativity thrives.”

The 2024 YTBD winners

Here are the judges’ selections of the best of the best. The 2024 Young Talent Big Dreams contest winners:

▪ Original Composition and Overall Grand Prize: Gerry Ibarra, 16, Terra Environmental Research Institute.

▪ Individual Dance: Maribelle Juvier, 12, Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer.

▪ Individual Vocal – Broadway/Jazz/Classical: Stephanie Aguiar, 16, Somerset Preparatory Academy.

▪ Individual Vocal – Pop/Rock/Rap: Luna Meneses, 17, Doral Academy Preparatory High School.

▪ Individual Original Spoken Word: Salandra Singleton, 17, Miami Norland Senior High School.

▪ Individual Musical Instrument: Harmoni Warren, 16, Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts.

▪ Group Vocals: Mariachi featuring Dylan Bustos, 13, and Shantel Ruiz, 12, of Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer.

▪ Group Dance: The Quadratic Four featuring Tylah Dorsonne, 14; Shannon Millan, 13; Ariannah Wright, 15; and Azariah Wright, 13; students at Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts.

▪ Group Musical Instrument/Bands: The Atomic Lollipops featuring Atlas Alvarez, 18, Miami Southridge Senior High School; Nya Fabian, 16, Homestead Senior High School; Ray Garcia, 16, South Dade Senior High School; Natalia Gomez-Mieses, 16, Homestead Senior High School; Kevin Perez, 18, Homestead Senior High School; and Liz Ponce, 17, Dade Preparatory Academy.

Howard Cohen, a staff writer at the Miami Herald for 33 years, who also teaches at the University of Miami School of Communication, has volunteered as a judge for Young Talent Big Dreams at Actors’ Playhouse since the competition’s inception in 2010.