Congratulations to Laura Stanell (senior voice), student of Beth Stanell, and Eric Zhunio (Young Artist brass), student of Velvet Brown, who won their respective categories at the Eastern Division MTNA performance competitions and will represent PMTA at the national competitions in Spokane, Washington in March 2019.
Congratulations to the 2018 PMTA Commissioned Composer
Congratulations to our PMTA 2018 Commissioned Composer of the Year, Daniel Temkin, who was selected for Honorable Mention for his composition Dreamed Landscapes, in the 2018 MTNA Distinguished Composer of the Year Award selection process. The piece was premiered at our 2018 state conference by pianist and conference chair, Henry Wong Doe, who recorded the piece as well. Nominations for our 2020 commissioned composer are due by March 1.
2019 Keystone Chamber Music Competition
The PMTA Keystone Chamber Music Competition is holding its 5th competition this March. It is open to all students in Middle School and High School.
The competition will be held on March 2, 2019 at Penn State, University Park.
We welcome instrumentalists, pianists, and singers who have formed the required groups.
MTNA offers solo competitions, but Chamber Music only at the collegiate level; so PMTA is giving the younger students an opportunity to experience the wonderful world of collaborative playing.
The guidelines and application form can be downloaded here.
All PMTA members are encouraged to form the required groups. Non PMTA members are welcome to enter their students with an additional fee.
PMTA Keystone Chamber Music Competition
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Location: Penn State School of Music, University Park, PA.
Application Deadline postmark date: January 21, 2019
Application is on the PMTA website.
All applications and fees will be sent to the coordinator.
Make the check payable to: PMTA
Send application to and address all questions to:
PMTA Chamber Music Competition Coordinator:
Gloriana Sewell
P.O. Box 199
Milford Square, PA 18935
Gloriana.s@comcast.net
Studio: 215-536-8142
Cell: 267-221-6508 (call or text)
PMTA 2018-19 Composition and Performance Competition Winners Announced
Congratulations to all of our winners and representatives in the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association competitions. Winners and representatives will advance to the online Eastern Division round in January 2019.
Chamber Music Winner: Westminster College Saxophone Quartet coached by James Flowers: Angela Renninger, Timothy Savage, Liam Horgan, Abby Grabigel
Chamber Music Alternate: PSU Tuba Quartet coached by Velvet Brown:
Meredith Fuller, Ian Adams, Eric Zhunio, Noah McDonald
Junior Composition Representative: Hanna Summer, Teacher Gloriana Sewell
Junior Piano Winner: Alyssa Gabrilovich, Teacher Igor Resnianski
Junior Piano Alternate: Nathan Jiang, Teacher Igor Resnianski
Junior Piano Honorable Mention: William Ge, Teachers Natalie Zhu and Joy Kiszely
Junior Piano Honorable Mention: Audrey Shu, Teacher Kristin Stephenson
Junior String Winner: Amithi Tadigadapa, cello, Teacher Jonathan Dexter
Junior String Alternate: Adah Kaplan, violin, Teacher Kimberly Fisher
Junior Woodwind (representative): Bryan Chen, flute, Teacher Wendy Webb Kumer
Senior Composition Winner: Jackson Hunt, Teacher Yeeha Chiu
Senior Piano Winner: Andy Wu, Teacher Igor Resnianski
Senior Piano Alternate: Emma Lo, Teacher Igor Resnianski
Senior Piano Honorable Mention: Chris Jung, Teacher Igor Resnianski
Senior Piano Honorable Mention: Ashwini Shende, Teacher Igor Resnianski
Senior Piano Honorable Mention: Ellie Kim Teacher Christopher Guzman
Senior String Winner: Alexandra He, cello, Teacher Ohad Bar-David
Senior String Alternate: John Rose, cello, Teacher Carol Lyon
Senior String Honorable Mention: Angelina Phillips, violin, Teacher Kimberly Fisher
Senior Voice (representative): Laura Stanell, soprano, Teacher Beth Stanell
Senior Woodwind Winner: Timothy Kim, clarinet, Teacher Andrew Hauze
Senior Woodwind Alternate: Ananya Tadigadapa, flute, Teacher Naomi Seidman
Young Artist Composition Representative: Ian Adams, Teacher Velvet Brown
Young Artist Brass (representative): Eric Zhunio, euphonium, Teacher Velvet Brown
Young Artist Piano Winner: Euna Kim, Teacher Christopher Guzman
Young Artist Piano Alternate: Rachel Lee, Teacher Igor Resnianski
Young Artist Woodwind Winner: Julia Carey, flute, Teacher Kimberly Reighley
Young Artist Woodwind Alternate: Timothy Savage, saxophone, Teacher James Flowers
Young Artist Woodwind Honorable Mention: Erica Hinchcliff, flute, Teacher Kimberly Reighley
2018 Keystone Competition Composition Winners Announced
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
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 PMTA Conference Updates
2018 Conference Registration now open!
PMTA 2018 CONFERENCE
June 8-10, 2018
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA
2018 Keystone Composition Competition Contest
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
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
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!
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.