Winter Break - December 22 to January 9
Winter Break - share your music with family and friends!
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Winter Break - share your music with family and friends!
Group Performance Class - first class of 2026! Our secret “Piano Pals” will finally be revealed. Get ready for the annual composition performances!
Chopin NW Competition:
Saturday, February 14, 2026, 9 AM–6 PM. (You must be available all day. No requests for specific times.)
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church
3605 84th Ave. SE
Mercer Island, WA 98040
OMTA is pleased to feature local students performing works by Baroque Composers (c. 1600-1750). Free and open to the public.
Location: Westwood Baptist Church
Times: TBA
Group Performance Class 4: We will perform at Stonewell Senior Home. Last chance to practice performance before MAP and WSMTA Competition!
REGULAR PRIVATE LESSONS this week - in addition to Group Performance Class
Date/Time: Sunday afternoon, March 8, 2026
Place: St. Martins University, Fine Arts/Krielsheimer Hall
Date: March 9-11, 2026
Place: St. Martins University, Krielsheimer Hall/Fine Arts Building
Exact time: TBA
Music Artistry Program (MAP) is an annual event in which students statewide perform in studio masterclasses and receive one-on-one coaching by Visiting Artists in a positive, noncompetitive learning environment.
Students from the MAP Program will be selected to take part in the OMTA Honor Recitals.
Date: Sunday afternoon, March 15, 2026
Location: TBD
This recital will be featuring local music teachers. Come watch your teacher on the hot seat!
Location: TBA
Group Performance Class 5 - Tech Olympics! Be ready to play your technical phases for the GOLD! SILVER! and BRONZE!
The MLP (Music Literacy Program) is an annual exam to test theory knowledge. Top scores are posted in the WSMTA State website. A fee is associated with this event.
The Pop/Jazz/Duet Recital features students performing favorite tunes. Free to the public.
Location and Time: TBA
Group Performance Class 6 - Final class of the year. Perform your Guild repertoire for everyone!
Virtuoso International Festival
Formerly the Virtuoso Festival, to celebrate the works of the romantic, impressionistic, and contemporary musical eras, the VAFI competition opens its doors to pianists and instrumentalists of the world. Recently revised and expanded, this inclusive educational festival aims to inspire youth and adult musicians to create and share their artistry from anywhere in the world – even from his or her living room through pre-recorded YouTube video links.
The SIPF provides within its friendly and accessible format an outlet to express one’s inner voice through the performance of 19th century and later masterworks.
Those familiar with last year’s festival will note no significant changes to 2025 Virtuoso Artists Festival.
An annual community event put on by the OMTA, this is a delightful and casual
opportunity to share your festive holiday, jazz, and classical pieces with others! Feel free to dress in Christmas-themed accessories to get in the spirit of the season!
Time: 3:30-4:45.
About the event
Each December Pianova Piano Service brings an acoustic piano to a public location and local piano teachers have their students perform holiday music for the public! It's a great way to promote piano playing to the community and it gives students a lower-stress venue to practice playing in front of others.
Donations
We will have a donation box for those who want to support our organization. Additionally, Barnes & Noble will donate a percentage of sales during our event to Olympia Music Teachers. Please encourage everyone you know to come shop during our event - it really helps us out!
Happy Thanksgiving Week! Enjoy your time with family and friends!
OMTA Annual Concerto Competition - https://www.olymusicteachers.org/competitions
Location: Gospel Outreach Church
5 Divisions:
Elementary, Intermediate A, Intermediate B, Advanced A (Baroque/Classical), Advanced B (Romantic/Contemporary)
More information TBA!
Concerto Recital will feature our fabulous students who have been learning various concerti for the competition next week! Families and friends are welcome.
Location: Allen Studio
Date/Time: Sunday, November 16 @ 1:15-2:15pm
2025 Puget Sound Keyboard Weekend
Date: November 14-16
Place: University of Puget Sound Music Department
Events: Concerts and Activities - come check out a thriving music department in our area!
Contact: Dr. Ronaldo Rolim, piano chair
Veteran’s Day - Earlier Class Time of 1-2pm
Our 2nd Group Performance Class of the year - students will play concerti movements and various repertoire they have been learning through the fall. Secret Piano Pals will also be assigned!
All Concerto Competition students will meet for regular lessons this week in addition to Group Performance, as needed.
Autumn Festival Recital will take place at Sunbreak Church (7722 Yelm Hwy SE, Olympia).
Recital times: 1pm, 2:15pm and 3:30pm
The OAPC competition was established in 2005 to provide an additional performance opportunity for talented pianists from Washington state. It runs concurrently with the MTNA Competition, but is not part of the MTNA Competition. The Outstanding Artist Piano Competition (OAPC) may serve as a positive initial step for students desiring to compete in the MTNA Performance Competition in future years. A teacher may not enter the same student in both WSMTA OAPC and MTNA Performance Competition in the same year.
The OAPC is a state level competition with monetary awards. The 2025 OAPC Competition will take place November 7-9, 2025 at Central Washington University in Ellensburg WA.
https://www.chopinnw.org
2026 CHOPIN NW COMPETITION REGISTRATION BEGINS NOVEMBER 1, 2025.
PLEASE READ ALL THE RULES CAREFULLY. Some rules have changed from 2025.
📅 Key Dates:
Chopin NW Competition:
Saturday, February 14, 2026, 9 AM–6 PM. (You must be available all day. No requests for specific times.)
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church
3605 84th Ave. SE
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Mazurka Division (video only):
Open to ages 8 to 18, Pacific Northwest residents only. Cash prizes and medals will be awarded and winners will be invited to perform live at the Gold Medalists Concert. Pianists may submit a recording of one or more mazurkas, as long as the total performance stays within their age-based time limit. If submitting more than one mazurka, all must be recorded in a single take - no cuts or edits between mazurkas are allowed. Important: Pianists do not have to participate in the IN-PERSON competition to be eligible in this online only version. If you are also participating in the in-person competition and choose to perform a mazurka(s) there, it must be different from the one(s) submitted for this video division and will not be eligible for this prize. Videos must be recorded between November 1, 2025, and January 15, 2026, and uploaded by January 15 via a provided Dropbox link (no YouTube links), in MP4 or MOV format, as one continuous, unedited take with no speaking or introduction, showing the pianist’s hands and face, performed from memory on an acoustic piano.
Master Lessons with Art Peterson! A great chance to perform and receive valuable feedback and advice on your Concerto repertoire.
Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025
Time:
9:30 Landon
10:15 Gracie
11:15 Grant
12:15 Lunch Break
1: Phoebe
2: Alex
The Seattle International Piano Festival (SIPF) is proud to present for the sixteenth iteration, the annual Bach Festival International (online edition) for pianists and instrumentalists of any nationality, featuring works by Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as other Baroque masters. This competitive event was created to provide performing opportunities for those who wish to share their love of Bach’s revered music and to provide performers with constructive feedback from performing and teaching masters. Participants will receive educational evaluations by performing for adjudicators, and a chance to receive medals and certificates.
We are honored to continue the tradition of the annual Bach Festival by its original founder, Jennifer Bowman, and hope to preserve her artistic vision. The festival has always been a wonderful educational and artistic opportunity for pianists and violinists both locally and abroad, and our mission is to see that it becomes an anticipated event each year.
This festival sets forth narrowly defined age groups and specific genre groups so that participants may be fairly judged, and generously decorated.
There are no significant changes to the 2025 festival from the previous edition.
The form is set to accept applications starting July 1, 2025 at 12:00 pm, accepting credit cards for application fees and online signatures. DEADLINE: 10/25/25
First Fall Group Performance Class! Come prepared to listen to and play for your fellow young pianists. We will also play theory games, talk about pieces and composers, and discuss the latest news in music!
Dr. Thomas Otten, hailed by the New York Times as “an extremely original player,” debuted at 17 with the National Symphony Orchestra. An Emeritus Professor from UNC Chapel Hill, he’s performed at Carnegie Hall and taught at Julliard and Eastman. A master teacher, his students include prize-winning pianist Andrew Tyson. https://otten.studio/index.html
The OAPC is a competition for advanced students, taking place at CWU (Ellensburg) in November (11/7 - 11/9). The competition is open to the public and very inspiring to hear and take part in!
See wsmta.org for more details.
Welcome to the 2025-26 School Year - - Fall Lessons begin on September 8!
Lessons, either private or group, will take place on a weekly basis.
Summer Lessons will begin the week of June 9. They will be offered on these weeks. Sign up for a minimum of 4 if you plan to take part in the Concerto Competition.
Week of: June 9 & 16
July 1 & 21
August 4 & 25
National Guild Auditions - Date is announced - Sunday, June 8!
Judge: TBA
Locaton: St. Martins University
Students will perform National Level Programs - 10-15 pieces memorized (including 3 Technical Phases). This is a HUGE accomplishment!
Technical Phases include: Scales, Chords/Cadences, Arpeggios, Ear Training, Improvisation, Sight Reading, and Transposition.
Schedule:
9am - Linnea
9:25 - Landon
9:50 - Phoebe
10:25 - Break
10:40 - Chloe
12:10 - Lunch
1:10 - Gracie
1:35 - Alexander
2:10 - Grant
2:45 - Finish
Group Lessons - No Private Lessons this week, unless previously arranged with teacher
Last Performance Class of the year - just in time to prep for National Guild Auditions!
June Recital
Date: Sunday, June 1st, 2025
Time: 3pm
Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church (1925 Boulevard Rd SE, Olympia)
Winners, Alternates and Honorable Mentions from the WSMTA HR Competitions from the various chapters in District IV will be featured on this annual recital - from our Olympia chapter, we can cheer on Chloe (winner), Alex (first alternate), and Grant (honorable mention)!
Sunday, May 4 @ 3pm
NEW Location: Immanuel Lutheran Church 1209 Scheuber Rd N, Centralia, WA 98531
As is the custom, teachers will provide a cookie reception!
Date: Saturday, May 3
Place: Gloria Dei Lutheran
Times: recitals will take place starting at 10am, 11:15, and 12:30 (I will send participating students their times)
Come play your Pop, Jazz, and Duet repertoire for the community!
The annual Masterworks Chorale Ensemble Youth Competition is almost here!
Deadline for sign up: April 26.
Competition Date: May 10, starting at 8am
https://mce.org/youth-music-competition-page/
Each Spring, Masterworks’ Youth Music Competition is an opportunity for area youth to compete in one of three levels: elementary, middle, or high school. Since 2001, this event has provided wonderful learning and performance experience for students in our community.
The competition is open to all grade 3-12 vocal and instrumental students. The three winners, one from each level, receive a scholarship award and an invitation to perform a solo in a Masterworks Choral Ensemble concert at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts the season following the competition.
Group Lesson Week - Come ready to perform a piece for your fellow young pianists. No private lesson this week, unless previously arranged with teacher.
Come see the OMTA teachers perform - a fundraiser for OMTA student programs, such as Concerto Competition, Pop/Jazz/Duet Recital, Fall Recital, Barnes&Noble Play-a-thon, etc! This time the teachers are on the hot seat!
Saturday, April 12
Time: 3:30-4:30pm
Place: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
OMTA Honor Recitalists are selected by the MAP Visiting Artists for outstanding performances during MAP/Adjudications.
Place: Westwood Baptist Church
Date: Sunday, March 16, 2025
Time: 1:30 and 2:30pm
This recital is free and open to the public! It features the top choices in each studio, so sure to be a fabulous show.
MAP Week! No private lessons this week, unless previously arranged.
Place: St. Martins University
Date and Time: March 10, 2025 @ 9am to 2:10pm
Visiting Artists: Dr. Yoon-Wha Roh (WSU)
Students will perform 2 contrasting pieces from memory for the Visiting Artist. Top students may be chosen to perform at the OMTA Honor Recital on March 16.
Schedule:
9:15 - Chloe (Heroic Polonaise & Pletnev/Tchaikovsky)
10:00 - Gracie (Chopin Raindrop Prelude & Bach D Minor WTC)
10:30 - Phoebe (Chopin Fantasie Impromptu & Mozart F Major)
11:00 - Break
11:20 - Alexander (Chopin Waltz in Ab & Mozart Rondo)
11:50 - Anoova (Prokofiev Suggestion Diabolique & Beethoven Tempest)
12:20 - Landon (Guaraldi & Bach Invention 4)
12:50 - Grant (Chopin Minute Waltz & Mozart)
1:20 - LUNCH
2:20 - Consult (Honor Recital)
2:35 - End
The winners of the WSMTA Honor Recital Competition will win the opportunity to perform at the State Conference in June. OMTA offers a travel grant/scholarship to the student winners who perform at the conference. In addition, all student winners, alternates and honorable mentions will be listed on the state WSMTA website.
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Time: 12-5pm
Judges: TBD
© 2016 Ramona Allen