BIG NEWS! A brand new piano competition is coming to town, put on by the Lacey, WA & Minsk Mazowieki, Poland, Sister City Association! Below is the email from the Chopin Competition Liaison, Vicki Tobin.

Chopin Competition 2017

Hello Colleagues!! It is with great urgency that I send to you the necessary information for application to engage your students in our newest area competition. This invitation is only going out to Pierce, Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Clark, Cowlitz and the southwestern counties. PLEASE send this attachment out to your area teachers as soon as you are able!!

The Lacey/Minsk-Mazowiecki (birthplace of Chopin) Sister City Association is planning a wonderful event during March 2017. It will not only include an art exhibit with a Polish Guest artist but also a Chopin competition with a culminating concert, Guest Artist from Poland and awards - located at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia.

The purse is healthy, the opportunity is wonderful and the information is attached. Please, please disseminate this information to your area teachers as soon as possible. As we all know, it takes time to put together four Chopin pieces and we are getting close!

Feel free to email me with questions - vjtobin38@gmail.com

Happy Fall!!

Vicki Jardine Tobin
Competition Liason

YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR VERY FIRST
LACEY-MINSK MAZOWIECKI SISTER CITY ASSOCIATION Sponsored:
CHOPIN FESTIVAL AND COMPETION!!

DATES: March 20-23, 2017 Competition Trials
Concert for Winners – Saturday March 25, 2017 @ 7:30pm
South Puget Sound Community College
Minnaert Center for the Performing Arts
Olympia, WA

Rules, Repertoire and Application fees:

Intermediate Division application fee - $30

Ages – 12-15
First Place Prize money - $500

Advanced Division application fee - $50

Ages – 16-23
First Place Prize money - $1000

WINNER OF EACH CATEGORY TO PERFORM IN THE CONCERT on MARCH 25 with our GUEST ARTIST from MINSK MAZOWIECKI, POLAND – Jacek Nazarczuk!!!

2017 LACEY- MINSK MAZOWIECKI CHOPIN FESTIVAL RULES AND APPLICATION PROCESS

1. The Application period will be between October 1, 2016, and January 31, 2017.
2. APPLICATION FORMS AND APPLICATION PAYMENT WILL BE BY EMAIL ONLY. Once you submit your application, there will be no changes allowed. Please submit: NAME, AGE, ADDRESS, PHONE, EMAIL, and SELECTION OF PIECES TO BE PERFORMED to BOTH vjtobin38@gmail.com and clarkson9067@msn.com
3. The Lacey Minsk Mazowiecki Chopin Competition and Festival encourages applications from pianists (U.S. citizens or U.S. residents) of ages 12-23.
4. Application fees for accepted participants are non-refundable. There may be SCHOLARSHIPS available to help supplement fees on a needs basis. Please contact us ASAP.
5. The repertoire is limited to the music of Frederic Chopin.
6. Competition will take place during the week of March 20-23, 2017. Scheduling will be by both phone and emailed confirmation and once scheduled should not be changed.
7. 2017 Students are NOT required to be present other than 30 minutes prior to competing.
8. All students MUST register with the Chopin Check In Desk located in the SPSCC Minnaert Center lobby 30 minutes prior to assigned competing time.
9. Students will receive confirmation of their performance time both by phone and by email. These will be sent no later than March 1, 2017.
10. Students are NOT allowed to exchange time slots unless there is permission from competition staff. 11. Divisions: See below.
12. Warm up time should be allowed at the performance site.
13. Original scores of the music must be approved at the Festival registration desk. Photocopied music is NOT allowed per copyright law.
14. Measures must be numbered.
15. Music must be memorized
16. Any changes or omissions of the entered repertoire will disqualify the student from prize winning though they will still be allowed to play.
17. After performing, students are responsible to pick up their music from the room monitor.
18. The judges’ decisions are final. Please make every effort to stay for the announcement of winners of your division and pick up certificates and adjudication sheets. We will do our best to post the competition results in the Minnaert Center by Thursday afternoon March 23, 2017.

REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS:
For the Intermediate pianists (12-15 years of age), please choose 4 (four) pieces from the following repertoire:
Any TWO PRELUDES from OP. 28(No. 4, 6, and 7 are considered a lower level Prelude but are acceptable for this competition when coupled with a Prelude of more advanced level)
TWO pieces from the following two categories:
MAZURKAS:
F# Minor, Op. 6, No. 1
Bb Major, Op. 7, No. 1
A Minor, Op. 7, No. 2
C Major, Op. 7, No. 5
G Minor, Op. 24, No. 1
B Minor, Op, 30, No. 2
F Minor, Op. 63, No. 2
G Minor, Op. 67, No. 2
A Minor, Op. 68, No. 2
F Major, Op. 68, No. 3
WALTZES:
A Minor, Op. 34, No. 2
Db Minor, Op. 64, No. 1
C# Minor, Op. 64, No. 2
Ab Minor, Op. 64, No. 3
Ab Major, Op. 69, No. 2
B Minor, Op. 69, No. 2
F Minor, Op. 70, No. 2, Op. Posth.
E Minor, Op. Posth
A Minor, Op. Posth.
Eb Major, Op. Posth.

Repertoire for the advanced pianists (16-23 yrs of age), please choose 4 (Four) pieces from the following repertoire:

1. Two Etudes, one from each group (a & b) indicated below:
a) From Op. 10: C major No.1, C-sharp minor No.4,
G-flat major No. 5, F major No. 8, C minor No. 12;

From Op. 25: A minor No. 11.

b) From Op. 10: A minor No. 2; C major No. 7,
A-flat major No. 10, E-flat major No. 11;

From Op. 25: A minor No. 4, E minor No. 5,
G-sharp minor No. 6, and B minor No. 10.

2. One of the following pieces:
• Nocturne in B major, Op. 9 No. 3
• Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 1
• Nocturne in D flat major, Op. 27 No. 2
• Nocturne in G major, Op. 37 No. 2
• Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1
• Nocturne in F sharp minor, Op. 48, No. 2
• Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 55 No. 2
• Nocturne in B major, Op. 62 No. 1
• Etude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3
• Etude in E flat minor, Op. 10 No. 6
• Etude in C sharp minor, Op. 25 No. 7
3. One of the following pieces:
• Ballade in G minor, Op. 23
• Ballade in F major, Op. 38
• Ballade in A flat major, Op. 47
• Ballade in F minor, Op. 52
• Barcarole in F sharp major, Op. 60
• Fantasia in F minor, Op. 49
• Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20
• Scherzo in B flat minor, Op. 31
• Scherzo in C sharp minor, Op. 39
• Scherzo in E major, Op. 54
FOR QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT :
Vicki Jardine Tobin, Piano Competition Liason at vjtobin38@gmail.com
Barbara Clarkson, Sister City Association Liason at clarkson9067@msn.com
Chip Schooler, SPSCC Orchestra Director at cschooler@spscc.edu
*NOTE CONCERNING AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE
1. Cell phone and pagers must be turned off at all times in the performance or concert halls.
2. Use of cameras, video or audio recording equipment is not permitted in the performance rooms.
3. Talking is not permitted in the competition rooms during the performance.
4. No small children are allowed in the competition rooms.
5. Enter and exit the performance rooms only between performances.
TEACHERS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE WELCOME AT THE COMPETITION, AND THE CONCERT PERFORMANCES.