New Chopin Piano Competition Coming to Town!

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.

My Piano Camp Experience: Icicle Creek Center for the Arts

After a (traffic-filled) drive over to Leavenworth this July, I walked into the beautiful facility known as Icicle Creek Center for the Arts.  I was there for their yearly Young Pianists' Camp, a weeklong event that invites, well, young pianists from all over the state (and sometimes outside Washington) to learn and practice their current pieces in order to prepare them for the traditional recital at the end of camp.  And what an experience it was!

I can tell you, it was not all excitement in my head prior to arriving at camp.  For starters, "some random piano camp" was not exactly my idea of summer fun.  And out of the seventeen other students attending, I knew exactly zero.  "Can't I at least go with someone I know?" I would ask my mom-slash-teacher in the weeks and months leading up to our departure for camp.  Of course, she would give the classic parental answer: "You need to meet new people.  That's part of the reason why you're going!"

Even though I entered the facility with the slight intention of staying in the background and not talking unless I absolutely had to, I couldn't deny the beauty of the campus.  The modern architecture of the recital hall is set against a beautiful backdrop of mountains and trees, with winding walkways throughout and a cluster of cabins nearby.  I was greeted warmly right away by the two main teachers at the camp, with whom I would be taking lessons during the week.  My cabin was a cozy space that I shared with four other girls and our counselor.

Speaking of, their choice of cabin groupings couldn't have been more spot-on: the girls I was with were all within a year of my age, and all of them were so kind!  Sure, it was harder at first (lots of awkwardly-timed conversations meant to break even more awkward silences) but by the end of the week, it was like we had known each other for years.  I cannot stop talking about what an amazing group of people they were.  That is one of the reasons why I am especially glad I went: I got to know seventeen other amazing people who also happen to be fantastic pianists! :)

An average day at camp would include two practice sessions (each an hour long) and a 45-minute lesson with one of the teachers.  Each student gets two lessons with each teacher, totaling to four lessons for the week.  And of course, there is plenty of free time!  I remember playing lots of cards during the week... one of the teachers was saying, "It's so funny.  Everyone here plays so much cards!"  But don't worry—we didn't just sit around playing cards and playing piano all day!  Every night, there was a different fun activity, from ghost stories to hide-and-seek in the theater to movie night!

And if you're one of those people who's always got food on their mind, fear not: everyone is supplied with three full meals a day, including dessert!  The caterers are also very conscious of all dietary restrictions.  If you are unable to eat part of the main meal, an alternative will be made for you! 

At the beginning of the week, I was probably the student with the most negative emotions and ideas towards the whole "piano camp" thing.  And look at me now—telling you all the reasons why I enjoyed the experience!  Sure, it might seem intimidating at first to go to an overnight camp with no one else you know, but the experience is more than rewarding.  If you need something to do next summer and a sleep-away camp intrigues you, I would encourage you to check Icicle Creek out!  Their website is icicle.org :)

—Lilia Allen

 

 

NEW Lakeside Piano Studio YouTube Channel!

Just two days ago, the new Lakeside Piano Studio YouTube channel was launched!  This will be a place where we share recordings (both audio and video) of the students' work for their enjoyment and the benefit of others.  This will be a good service to the music community, as some of the pieces the students are learning are hard to find online.  A waiver is forthcoming for parents to sign before their students' work is posted.  For now, please enjoy the below sample of the channel...

Concertino No. 1: Peasant Folk Dance by Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee, played by Lilia Allen