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Congratulations to MTNA Performance Competition Winners

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Congratulations to Alyssa Gabrilovich (junior piano) student of Igor Renianski and Laura Stanell (senior voice), student of Beth Stanell, who won their respective categories at the Eastern Division MTNA performance competitions and will represent PMTA at the national competition the MTNA National Conference in Chicago, March 2020.

Eastern Junior Performance Piano Winner: Alyssa Gabrilovich (Igor Resnianski)

Eastern Senior Performance Voice Winner: Laura Stanell (Beth Stanell)

(Alyssa and Laura will compete in the National competition in Chicago.)

And congratulations to

Eastern Senior Composition Winner: Jackson Hunt (Yeeha Chiu) who won third place in the National Competition.

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

Keystone Chamber Music Competition application deadline extended!

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The deadline for the Chamber Music Competition has been extended to February 12th.

PMTA would like to welcome a few more entrants in the junior category (ages 11 through 15 as of March 3rd).  As long as you contact Chair Gloriana Sewell by email or phone in the next week with the information she needs to start the program and schedules, she will accept your application postmarked by February 12th.

The students who enter this competition have a wonderful experience, and they are highly motivated to practice and apply all their skills to meet the demands of collaborative playing. While the ensembles can be challenging to form and maintain, it is well worth it. Some of Gloriana’s students say it is their favorite musical undertaking, and they always grow in listening, technical and musical skills as they apply 100% effort to support the other students in the ensemble.

Gloriana encourages anyone who has a chamber group formed, and the necessary repertoire, to consider joining this year.

If you do not have a group ready this year, please consider taking part with your students next year.  The coach or teachers of the individual students in each ensemble do not have to be PMTA members, and the competition does accept some out of state students, as long as the majority of students in any particular ensemble live in PA. Please tell your colleagues about this competition.  PMTA provides this chamber music opportunity to support our members and the general community of music educators.

If anyone has questions, please email or call Gloriana Sewell at 215-536-8142 or gloriana.s@comcast.net.

MTNA Eastern Division Performance Competitions Winners

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The MTNA Eastern Division Performance Competitions were held on January 7, 2018 at West Virginia University. Congratulations to all PA competitors who participated. Here are our Eastern Division Winners and Representatives from PA:

Junior Piano Honorable Mention
Alyssa Gabrilovich, student of Igor Resnianski

Junior String Alternate
Michael Fisher, student of James Lyon

Junior Woodwind Honorable Mention
Elizabeth Salgado, student of Wendy Kumer

Senior Brass Winner
Joel Montgomery, student of Drew Fennell

Senior String Honorable Mention
Daniel Cho, student of Yayoi Numazawa

Senior Voice Alternate
Laura Stanell, student of Janice Derstine

Young Artist Brass Winner
Logan Carnes, student of Zach Collins

Young Artist Voice Representative
Michael Bilik, student of See-yin Lo

Good luck to Joel, Logan, and Michael who will represent PA at the national competitions in Florida in March 2018!

2018 PMTA Keystone Chamber Music Competition

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Visit the official page here.

Date: Saturday, March 3, 2018

New Location: Elizabethtown College, Zug Recital Hall

  • Download the application form: Word | PDF
  • All applications and fees will be sent to the chairperson.

GUIDELINES

  • There are two application categories, as well as two age categories in the Keystone Chamber Music Competition. For ensembles coached by a PMTA member-teacher, the membership dues must be paid by the application deadline; the entry fee is $100 per ensemble. Non MTNA-PMTA member coaches will be charged an additional $50 nonmember teacher fee.
  • The two age categories are: Junior (11-15) and Senior (16-19). Eligibility rules stated below.
  • PMTA Teachers may enter more than one ensemble in each category, Junior and/or Senior. PMTA reserves the right to cancel a competition age category if there is insufficient statewide participation in that category.

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