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2019 Keystone Composition Competition Winners Announced

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2019

Elementary

  • First Place: Rachel Yang, student of  Deborah Rodgers, The Four Elements
  • Second Place:  Sonia Lin, student of Keren Ligowski, The Haunted Mansion

Junior

  • First Place: An Tran, student of Millie Eben, Variations on a Lullaby
  • Second Place: Megan Magee, student of Deborah Rodgers, Tempest
  • Third Place: Alyssa Holland, student of Sheila Threlfall, Autumn Leaves
  • Hon. Mention: Praneel Mallaiah, student of Michelle Triaca, Life of a Hero

Senior

  • First place:  Jackson Hunt, student of Yeeha Chiu, Birds
  • Second Place: Rishi Ramon, student of Igor Resnianski/Deborah Rogers, Etude in D-Flat Major

Young Artist

  • First Place: Steven Roldan, student of  Justin Badgerow, Waltz of Irrationality
  • Second Place: Steven Roldan, student of Justin Badgerow,  Alturas
  • Third Place: E. Rider Brandeau, student of Justin Badgerow, Variations on Be My Baby

Judges

 Mark Rimple

 Michael Djupstrom

2018 Keystone Competition Composition Winners Announced

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2018

Elementary

  • First Place: Asa Ligowski, student of Keren Ligowski,  The Stalking Sabertooth
  • Second Place: Sindura Sridhar, student of Millie Eben, Wild Animal Suite
  • Third Place: An Tran, student of Millie Eben, Home Alone Blues
  • Hon Mention: Elise Badgerow, student of Justin Badgerow, Hopscotch
  • Hon Mention: An Tran, student of Millie Eben, A New Day
  • Hon Mention: Aditya Nayak student of Millie Eben, Lasso and Horse

Junior

  • First Place: Jackson Hunt, student of Yeeha Chiu, Three Tributes
  • Second Place: Rishi Raman, student Deborah Rodgers, Fantaisie in c# minor
  • Third Place: Ella Durbin, student of Carolyn North,  Yellow Leather
  • Hon Mention: Patrick Tran, student of Deborah Rodgers, Game On
  • Hon Mention: Rowan Shigeno, student of Leonardo Dugan, Mustard
  • Hon Mention: Julia Potter, student of Kimberly Scopano, Always There

Senior

  • First Place: Catherine Zhu, student of Deborah Rodgers, There Will Come Soft Rains
  • Second Place: Jennalyn Stuart, Michele Millington, For the First Time
  • Third Place: Sarah Shingle, student of Deborah Rodgers, Become
  • Hon Mention: Fernanda Morales, student of Deborah Rodgers, Viveros, Rain Cloud

Judges were:

1. Nicole DiPaolo- Principal Music Theory Instructor at Liberty Park Music, PH.D. candidate IU

2. Ryan Oliver- Assistant Professor of Music at Indiana University South Bend.

2018 PMTA Keystone Chamber Music Competition Winners

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The 2018 PMTA Keystone Chamber Music Competition was held March 3rd at Elizabethtown College. Our usual site, Esber Hall at Penn State is under renovations this year, and Deb Ronning very graciously made arrangements for PMTA to hold the chamber competition in Zug Hall. She also asked Sara Male, professional cellist, chamber music recitalist and adjunct professor of cello at Elizabethtown, to be our judge. This worked out perfectly since we had a piano trio and a trio of three cellists compete in the junior category.

Our first place winner was the Gran Turina Trio performing Trio No. 2 in B Minor by Turina and Trio Elegiaque  No. 1 in G Minor by Rachmaninoff. Their coach is Carole Lovelace, and the three trio members are: 15 year old pianist Rebecca Derham, student of Gloriana Sewell, 15 year old violinist Nicholas Hsieh, student of Carole Lovelace, and 14 year old cellist, Joshua Cuozzo, student of Richard Amoroso.

Honorable Mention was awarded to the Midas Trio performing Andante Sostenuto from Requiem Op. 66 for Three Cellos by David Popper and Finale from Divertimento in D Major for Three Cellos by Haydn. The three cellists are: 14 year old Anya Chan, 15 year old Sierra Wei, and 14 year old Sarah Yoon. Their coach and teacher is Jennifer Jie Jin.

The number of entrants was down this year, from 9 entrants in 2016 and 6 entrants in 2017. We prefer 3 entrants in a category, but these 2 student groups had worked so hard to prepare for this competition that we could not possibly turn them away. We thoroughly enjoyed both performances and were impressed with the level and quality of the playing. We welcome them back next year, and we hope the numbers will be up again. In the 20 years that I have been forming and encouraging my pianists to participate in chamber music ensembles, I am constantly thrilled with the results. And when the context is a competition, they work twice as hard and progress twice as far. It is always amazing! If you have entered this competition before or if it will be your first time, we invite you to join us next year.

Sincerely,
Gloriana Sewell, Competition Chair

2018 Keystone Composition Competition Contest

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It’s not too soon to have your students begin working on their compositions for the 2018 Keystone Composition Competition. You can find the details for registering your students and submitting compositions on our website.  The deadline for next year’s competition is March 31, 2018. All information will be forwarded to the judges on April 1, so try to have everything completed and sent to Michele Millington on time at CompositionCompetitionsChair@pamusicteachers.org.
All ages and levels of students may enter:
Elementary – Age 5-10
Junior – Age 11-14
Senior – Age 15-18
Young Artist – Age 19-25
All students who place, as well as Honorable Mentions, are eligible to perform their compositions, or have them performed by others, at the 2018 DSPF Showcase Recitals, which will be held in November 2018. Cash awards and additional prizes are also awarded each year, and students (and teachers!) benefit from comments provided by the judges who review all the compositions.
If you are new to this event and would like more information, contact Michele Millington, Competition Chair, at eltonfan88@gmail.com.  She is happy to provide sample compositions from past winners in each category to teachers who are new to the event.

2017 Keystone Composition Competition Winners

Elementary
Student Title Teacher
1st place An Tran Little March Millie Eben $75.00
2nd place Sindura Sridhar Sneaky Sleepwalkers Millie Eben $50.00
3rd place Aditya Nayak Letter of Love Millie Eben $40.00
HM An Tran Shooting Stars Millie Eben

 

Junior
Student Title Teacher
1st place Jackson Hunt Two Preludes Op 2 Yeeha Chiu $75.00
2nd place Rishi Raman String Quartet in B minor Marjorie Majka $50.00
3rd place Rishi Raman Ballade in D minor Marjorie Majka $40.00
HM Patrick Tran Japanese Garden Deborah Rodgers
HM Jennalyn Stuart Limitless Michele Millington
HM Krishna Nayak The Procrastinating Student Millie Eben

 

Senior Student
Student Title Teacher
1st place Jason Shu Two Pieces for String Quartet Vera Shissel $100.00
2nd place Sarah Shingle Dance of the Magyars Deborah Rodgers $75.00
3rd place Fernanda Morales Be Spontaneous Deborah Rodgers $50.00

 

Young Artist
Title Teacher
1st place Kory Hilpmann Unsettling Seas Justin Badgerow $100.00
2nd place Kory Hilpmann Dream Within A Dream Justin Badgerow $75.00
Judges were:
1. David Carpenter, Temple University
2. JP Meyer, Musical Director, Dutch Apple Theatre
3. Michael Rickelton, Peabody Conservatory

2017 PMTA Keystone Chamber Music Competition

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This was the third year of PMTA’s Keystone Chamber Music Competition, held March 4 at Penn State. There were 6 entrants in the Senior division, a flute trio, a flute quartet, a string quartet and three piano trios. The coaches were Christopher Guzman, Agatha Wang, Cong Fan, Amy Yang and Amanda Gunderson. The judges were Dr. Steven Smith and Dr. Eleanor Armstrong, both formerly of Penn State University. They were very impressed with the level and quality of the programs presented this year.

The first place winner was the Webb Trio coached by PMTA member Amy Yang. The members of the trio as shown in the photo below are Allister Barnes on piano, Isabella Egawa on violin and Alex Wu on cello playing selections by Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich. There were not enough entrants to hold the junior division this year, so the judges decided to award a second place which went to the Amati Piano Trio, coached by Amanda Gunderson, playing selections by Beethoven and Debussy. The members, from left to right in the photo are Rachel Boll on cello, Emilie Tupper on violin and Ellen Boll on piano. Honorable Mention was received by The Williamsport Quartet, William Knauth on violin, Michael Fisher on violin, Juliet Jacques on viola and Rachel Boll on cello.  The quartet is coached by Andrew Rammon.

Next year’s competition will be held at Elizabethtown College in early March. Details will be posted on the PMTA website.

Gloriana Sewell, Chair

FIRST PLACE: Webb Trio

 

 

 

 

SECOND PLACE: Amati Piano Trio