2021 Spring Quarter Draws to a Close

Dear Piano Families,

NATIONAL GUILD UPDATE

All day yesterday (and part of Friday), were full of National Guild Auditions. Wow, what amazing music! Everyone came prepared to perform 10 memorized pieces for our Guild Judge, Lita Consolacion. She was very pleased to hear you, and I'm happy to announce, every single student received a Superior Plus, the highest rating! You should all be very proud of your hard work and performance! I will be discussing the report cards with students this week, our final week of Spring Quarter.

SPRING RECITAL

Our Piano Quarter will culminate with the Spring Recital this Thursday, June 10, at 7pm. It will be LIVE, hooray! Our last studio recital was 1.5 years ago! We will be at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (North St. and Henderson Blvd). The venue requires that everyone sanitize upon entering, wear a mask, sit in designated pews (no moving seats), and mingle outside before and after the event. Refreshments are not allowed in the building, but of course, I will have treats prepared for students and families to take and enjoy!

END OF QUARTER

In addition to discussing the (stellar!) results of Guild Auditions, in the final week of lessons, we will discuss plans for the 2021-22 school year and summer music ideas. Please come ready to share your ideas. We will also work on Spring Recital pieces. It's been quite a year! The recital is a celebration of these students and beautiful music. Students, HAVE FUN with your recital pieces on Thursday!

Please let me know if you have any questions! Summer lesson dates will begin in July!

Gabriel and Chloe perform for Concerto Winners Concert!

You are invited to watch Gabriel and Chloe perform Beethoven and Grieg Concerti with the OCO!

YouTube premiere link - https://youtu.be/RbYZIXrZzq0

The OCO and the OMTA Concerto Competition Winners will present a concert featuring our own GABRIEL and CHLOE! Gabriel, 16yo OHS student, won the Advanced A division with Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto (3rd movt). Chloe, 14yo WMS student, won the Advanced B division with Grieg’s Piano Concerto (1st movt).

The concert is virtual. We are THANKFUL for the OCO players and their conductor, Nickolas Carlson, who continue with their craft despite the circumstances, and worked so hard to make this concert happen. Please support Gabriel, Chloe, and the OCO, by sharing the concert link with your family and friends, and consider a donation to the OCO!

Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, op. 37. III. Rondo. Gabriel Ong, Piano Soloist DeRon Wilson, violin I Rosalie Romano, violin II Anna Ashenberner, viola Casey Felt, cello Edward Grieg - Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 16. I. Allegro molto moderato. Chloe Song, Piano soloist Steven Lovinger & Rosalie Romano, violin I DeRon Wilson & Nate Berry, violin II Anna Ashenberner, viola I Brita Berry & Julie Funchion-Sandvig, viola II Casey Felt, cello I Lucy Winter, cello II Bill Duris, bass The Olympia Chamber Orchestra welcomes any and all donations! Donations help us keep the music going, and allow us to continue to support the OMTA concerto competition winners, rent and purchase music, rent rehearsal and performance spaces, insurance costs, printing costs, and personnel needs. Donations can be made on our website: www.olympiachamberorchestra.org/support.

Chloe and Gabriel perform at ChopinNW!

Chloe is all smiles with her Gold Medal…congratulations!

Two of our students, Chloe and Gabriel, took part in the prestigious ChopinNW Competition. Chloe performed Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2 in Bb Minor. Gabriel performed the Etude “Winter Wind” & Nocturne in E minor. Both received comments from well-known judges. Chloe was awarded the Gold Medal! Way to go!!!

You can see Gabriel’s performance here: https://youtu.be/XSkFCIQy2lk

You can see Chloe’s performance here: https://youtu.be/RJupimEWhbQ

MAP 2021 is a Wrap!

Another Music Artistry Program comes to a successful conclusion! 14 young pianists from our studio each performed 2 memorized selections for our Visiting Artist, Dr. Nicole Kim. Dr. Kim, a Steinway Artist, was delighted to hear all of you. Her message is that you are all so talented, and she wants you to have FUN with your music!

Due to the pandemic, we will not be having an Honors Recital. Instead, names will be featured on the OMTA website. Dr. Kim selected 3 winners and a number of Honorable Mentions.

Honors Recital Winners: Michael Z, Gabriel O, Chloe S

Honorable Mention: Luke M, Christine Z, Sky L, Gavin S, Lucas A, Calvin A, Max D, Linnea A, Landon A

Spirit Award (assigned by Dr. Kim for perseverance of spirit despite a broken arm 10 days before MAP): Judson K.

WSMTA Honors Competition Results!

Congratulations to all students participating in the 2021 WSMTA honors competition! Winners will be featured at the State Conference (virtually) in June. It was a pleasure to hear your beautiful and exciting music, live! Drs. Kim and de la Torre were full of praise for these recitals.

And the results….

Winner: Chloe Song

Alternate: Gabriel Ong

Honorable Mention: Michael Zhao, Calvin Aldrich

With the high level of playing, even if you did not get an award, we all loved hearing you! In fact, there are plans to open the recitals to the public next year, so more people can hear our fabulous young Olympia pianists.

WSMTA Honors Competition Recitals

On Saturday, March 6, we had our annual WSMTA Honors Recital Competition! This was a momentous occasion, as our last live event took place at this same time one full year ago! We were able to have 3 vey small-sized, socially distanced recital, and it was a joy to hear all of the (live!) beautiful music! There were toes tapping and smiles on the faces of the audience members. Our judges were Dr. Nicole Kim and Dr. Ricardo de la Torre. Congratulations to each of our performers from our studio! Results will be posted after MAP is finished.

Some of the pieces we heard were:

Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag by Calvin

Etude Allegro (Nakada) by Max

Les sons et les parfums tournent dans en l’air du soir (“Sounds and fragrances swirl in the evening air") by Michael

Debussy’s Bruyeres (“Heather”) by Megan

Chopin’s Winter Wind Etude, Op. 25, No. 11 by Gabriel

Pietzonka’s Tarantella by Christine

Debussy’s Prelude by Chloe

What a great afternoon of music! Congrats to all of you!

Music Artistry Program - Schedule Posted!

We are scheduled with Dr. Nicole Kim on Tuesday, March 9. Please come to my house 5 minutes before your scheduled time, and bring your music. We plan to be on ZoomPro with her at this time. All pandemic protocols will continue to be followed.

DATE: Tuesday, March 9

SCHEDULE:

9 - Landon

9:15 - Linnea

9:30 - Max

10 - Calvin

10:50 - Gabriel

11:20 - Megan

11:50-12:50 LUNCH BREAK

12:50 - Lucas

1:15 - Luke

1:45 - Judson

2:05 - Christine

2:35 - Gavin

3:15 - Chloe

3:45 - Michael

4:15 - Sky

4:45 - Oral Consult

5:05 - Sky/Alexander

Piano Pal 2021 - Annual Student Composition Project

It’s January! For quite a few years, January means our studio-wide Composition Project, the Piano Pal! Each student wrote an amazing piece for a fellow young pianist, inspiring each other. Fourteen new and original compositions for the new year!

Ocean Orcas by Landon

Cat Nap by Linnea

Purple Otters by Max

Tennibesque by Judson

Sweet Dream by Gavin

Oiseau Flappy by Chloe

Bellsprout by Christine

Tundra by Sky

Flight of Mysterious Proportions by Lucas

C.A.T. (Clever, Angry, Tranquil) by Calvin

Purple Skies by Gabriel

Cabin in December by Luke

Baroque Orange by Michael

Inception of a Ballade by Megan

MAP Date is March 9!

We have our Music Artistry Program date announced! Tuesday, March 9, from 9:30-5pm. A schedule will be posted soon.

The M.A.P. program (formerly Adjudications) is an opportunity for students to meet with a Visiting Artist, play for them, and receive valuable feedback. Students will prepare 2 memorized pieces to play. Our VA this year is: Dr. Nicole Kim. It is exciting to have such a distinguished artist work with each student! Please see her bio below.

Dr. Nicole Kim, Biography

Dr. Kim began her musical study at age four in her native country, South Korea.  With the encouragement of her maternal grandfather, who played multiple instruments including violin, mandolin, and Korean Flute, she learned to sing German Lied from him at age five. She had her orchestral debut at age eleven performing Mozart Concerto K488, which was broadcasted on radio and highly acclaimed. She received her bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University.  After moving to the States, she studied with Robert Turner, Daniel Pollack, Eduardo Delgado, and Mac McCray. Especially with Mr. Turner, as well as Mr. Pollack who was a student of Mr. and Madam Levine, she learned keen observation with fluent technique. In addition Mr. Delgado taught her lyricism, and Mr. McCray taught her the joy of piano. Later she studied impressionism with renowned Fulbright Scholar of French music, Ms. Bricard. Her harpsichord teacher was none other than the great, Canadian born, late Mr. Malcolm Hamilton.

Dr. Kim’s Master’s degree is from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Mr. Mac McCray, the winner of Liszt International Piano Competition, and her doctorate is from the University of Southern California with Mr. Daniel Pollack, the winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. As a winner of multiple competitions, such as the Joanna Hodges International Piano competition, she has been concertizing in the states as well as abroad. While being a faculty member of Cerritos College in Norwalk, California, she was actively involved in numerous performances and quoted as one of the best musicians in southern California by an Orange County newspaper. Her performance with the Cypress City orchestra on the City Hall Green was featured on media. In 1998 she was invited to perform at the City Hall Auditorium as an artist of the year for the city of Bellflower. In 1999 she accepted a faculty position at Soowon University in S. Korea to teach music for undergraduate students. She has been an affiliated faculty at Bellevue College and served as a board member for The Federal Way Symphony and National Music Teachers Association (MTNA), Eastside chapter. In addition, she served as a president for MTNA Lake Washington chapter.

Dr. Kim has a deep understanding of different styles of compositions and has been a faithful interpreter of those styles. Her interest in various kinds of music led her to appreciate and perform extensive repertoires. She has been an educator and adjudicator both in the U.S. and abroad. Her performances in the Pacific Northwest were televised in Seattle and New York and broadcast on King FM Radio In 2012 she embarked the lecture of the Beethoven Piano sonatas, as part of completion of performing entire 32 piano sonatas of Beethoven. She has been featured in Who’s Who in American Women since year 2002. She is also a performing member of the Ladies Musical Club. She is a “Steinway Artist”.

2021 Piano Explorer Magazine Composition Contest Announced

2021 Composition Contest

  The theme for the 2021 contest is Life on a Farm. Write a composition that has something to do with life on a farm. It could describe a farm animal or animals, planting, growing, or harvesting, storms, or anything else that inspires you that is related to a farm. Your music could describe a specific event or thing, tell a story, or just create a mood. 
  You must write a few sentences to describe your music. Entries will be divided into two divisions: ages 10 and under and 11 and up. Results will be announced in the May/June issue. You must subscribe to Piano Explorer to enter the contest. Check the rules below carefully. Good luck!

Contest Rules

Deadline: March 5, 2021

1. You or your teacher must subscribe to Piano Explorer. (If your teacher subscribes, he or she must have as many subscriptions as students who have entered.) Students must be 18 years or younger.

2. Only solo piano music will be considered for prizes.

3. Write your name, age, address, phone number, and teacher’s name on the back of the music.

4. All compositions must be written by students. Parents and teachers may help write down the notes.

5. Do not quote other pieces of music in your composition. You must also include the signed statement on p. 8 or download this pdf to participate.

6. Keep a copy for yourself. We cannot return music.

7. All submissions must be postmarked or faxed by the deadline, March 5, 2021. We are not responsible for pieces that are delayed in the mail.

8. Last year’s first-prize winners may not enter this year.

9. Drawings are encouraged, but not required.

10. Fax or mail entries only. Please no emails!

11. Make sure to compose music specifically to the topic. Don’t just add a title to a composition you already have.

12. You must include a description (at least a few sentences long) that explains how the music represents the contest theme. This is NOT optional.

Send your compositions to:

Piano Explorer 
Composition Contest
1838 Techny Court, Northbrook, IL 60062

Fax: 847-446-6263

Do not send via email

Be sure to draw a picture to go with your music.

Judson, Max, Megan pictured in National Piano Guild Notes!

Our students were pictured in the Winter 2021 issue of Piano Guild Notes! Vol. 70, No. 3

5-Year National Winners: Max D and Judson K

Paderewski Medal Recipient: Megan L

Congratulations on your accomplishment!

Happy New Year 2021!

Dear Piano Families:

Happy New Year!

VIRTUAL LESSONS

This email is to confirm that we will continue with our virtual lesson format this month due to the governor's continuing restrictions. We will be continuing our preparations for MAP (Music Artistry Program/Adjudications), which will take place the week of March 8-10.

VIRTUAL GROUP LESSON JAN. 18

We will have Zoom Group Lessons on the week of January 18, a combined class featuring our Piano Pal composition project! Take a look at the studio website (www.lakesidepiano.com) for calendar dates, group classes, news and more information. I can't wait to see the creative ideas of these young pianists.

MAP and GUILD REGISTRATION

I will be registering all students for MAP and Guild by Jan. 14. If you have not already done so, please make sure to submit the registration fees by that date.

I am looking forward to continuing my work with these wonderful students in 2021! May this year be a year of great growth and discovery!

Chloe Receives Piano Guild Scholarship!

This past May, Chloe earned the Advanced Bach Medal from the American College of Musicians, performing 15 memorized selections by J.S. Bach. Her program included Bach’s Concerto for Harpsichord in D minor, Italian Concerto (3rd movt), a Prelude and Fugue from WTC 1, and selections from the French Suites and English Suites, Inventions and Sinfonias. The judge was blown-away by her playing. Chloe was awarded the highest score of all students participating in this program nationwide, and as a result, was awarded the Raissa Tselentis Scholarship for excellence. Congratulations for this huge honor, Chloe!

Piano Pals are here!

Our annual composition project is here! Each student has been given a “secret piano pal” and will compose a piece just for them! At our Group Lesson, we discussed a number of composition ideas. Here are some ideas:

1. Pick an idea from your Piano Pal’s sheet and let your imagination inspire you!

2. Experiment with different ideas. When you find one you like, jot down a brief sketch, or record yourself, so you don’t forget it!

3. Try different accompaniments, motivic development, keys, meters and styles, to find one that works best for you.

4. Keep it simple. Form, melody, accompaniment, etc.

5. Give it a fitting title! Put your name as the composer, and dedicate it to your Piano Pal.

6. Notation: get familiar with a music notation program and write it out. I recommend Noteflight and Musescore as free options. You can use manuscript paper too.

7. Feel free to get creative and express yourself!

8. Be ready to present (and play) your composition for your Piano Pal at our January Group Lesson.

Have fun with this! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with and hear these brand-new compositions.

OMTA Concerto Competition - Results!

Dear Piano Families:

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the Concerto Competition! You all worked so hard, and each of you sounded AMAZING! The results are in, and remember you are all winners, truly. This concerto is YOUR concerto to enjoy for years to come. The judge had some difficult decisions, even asked about splitting medals, and enjoyed listening to each of you. Here is his message:

*****

Message from the Judge:
Thank you to all the teachers who participated. I would like to extend my congratulations to you for the excellent work you did with your students preparing this repertoire and for all your hard work playing the orchestral parts on the second piano and supporting your students in such a great way. Also, I know getting all the videos ready to submit on such short notice must not have been easy and your work is appreciated.
To the students: Thank you all for your fantastic playing and great work preparing for this competition. I enjoyed hearing you and you all did a great job. Please, do not feel discouraged if you did not get a prize or honorable mention. It is certainly not a sign that you did not do a good enough job. The level was high, and I faced some hard choices to make. I wish splitting awards was possible under the rules. Regardless of the result, keep up the good work and I encourage you to enter again next year with another selection, surely a more challenging one as you will have grown more.

Ricardo de la Torre

*****

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN! I am so proud of each of you, and I hope you are all proud of the beautiful music you have made and learned by heart! Trophies, medals and ribbons will be available this week, so please let me know when you can come pick it up!

******************************

Elementary Division
2nd prize - E3 Landon Allen
Honorable mentions: E1 Linnea Allen

Upper Intermediate Division
Honorable mentions: UI4 Calvin Aldrich, U12 Christine Zhang

Advanced A Division
1st prize - AA5 Gabriel Ong
Honorable mentions: AA2 Sky Lin

Advanced B Division
1st prize: AB2 Chloe Song
2nd prize: AB1 Michael Zhao
Honorable mention: AB3 Megan Lorich

Full results will be available on the OMTA website this week, olymusicteacher.org.

OMTA Concerto Competition, November 21 & 22 - Update!

Update 11/17/20: Due to the governor’s announcement over the weekend, our competition will be virtual. We will be submitting our video links to the judge by this Saturday. Results will be available by Tuesday, 11/24. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

The 21st Annual OMTA Concerto Competition will take place on Saturday, Nov. 21 & Sunday, Nov. 22, from 2-6pm. Over 40 young Olympia pianists will take part, performing Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Concerti movements for prizes!

Saturday, Nov. 21: Elementary and Intermediate Divisions -

Landon: Olson Celebration! Concerto, 2nd movt

Linnea: Haydn, Concerto Piccolo

Max: Miller Concerto in A Minor, 3rd movt

Calvin: Rahbee “Peasant Dance” Concertino

Christine: Rocherolle Blues Concerto

Luke: Williams Concerto in A Minor, 1st movt

Sunday, Nov. 22: Advanced A and Advance B Divisions -

Sky: Haydn Concerto #11 in D Major, 1st movt

Gabriel: Beethoven Concerto #3 in C Minor, 3rd movt

Chloe: Grieg Concerto in A Minor, 1st movt

Michael: Schumann Concerto in A minor, 1st movt

Megan: Gershwin Concerto in F, 1st movt

Chloe - Finalist in Sejong Competition

Congratulations to Chloe, a Finalist in the Sejong Competition! She performed Misook Kim’s “Kwe-ji-na” and Chopin’s “Scherzo No. 2 in Bb Minor”.

Young Olympia Pianists featured in National Magazine

Check out the recent article and photos featuring our studio and students! Congratulations to all participants!

Biographies are listed for those who complete a Plaque successfully, as well as students who have accomplished National Level Auditions for 5 and 10 years.

(From the FALL 2020 Piano Guild Notes, Vol. 70, No. 2)

Congratulations to our 15 students! All passed their National Guild Auditions with a Superior and Superior Plus rating. Well done to our young pianists!

Chloe received the Advanced Bach Plaque for performing a 15 piece program of all Bach works. Congratulations!

Fall Lessons Begin September 14!

Fall Lessons will begin the week of September 14! I am looking forward to another year of piano and music-making with my wonderful students!

Please remember our pandemic precautions: Do not come to lessons if you or a close contact has shown signs of illness - we can have a virtual lesson instead. Please wear a mask. Only students allowed, no family or friends. Wash hands before coming to lessons and wash hands immediately after entering. Keyboard and bench will be sanitized between each student. Thank you for helping to keep our piano community healthy!

Schedule:

Mondays:

2:15. Luke

3:00. Christine

4:00. Sky

5:00. Michael

Tuesdays:

Linnea

Landon

Lucas

Wednesdays:

2:00. Megan

3:15. Gavin

4:00. Max

5:00. Gabriel

Thursdays:

2:45. Judson

3:30. Calvin

4:15. Chloe

The End of a Strange Spring! National Guild Results Below

The week of June 1 was quite a week, phew! Congratulations to ALL students - for a fantastic Spring Recital, creative zoom Group Lesson, and National and International Guild Auditions! You did it! I hope all were able to relax and celebrate afterwards!

All students of our studio participated in National and International Level Auditions. This means 10 or 15 memorized pieces in each of their programs. Students all passed with a Superior or Superior Plus rating. Way to go! Students who participated in the National Guild Auditions: Landon, Linnea, Gavin, Chloe, Lucas, Calvin, Max, Judson, Sky, Luke, Megan, Alex, Madison, and Lilia.

Extra kudos to:

Megan: She received her High School Diploma from the the American College of Musicians for her 15-piece, Guild Approved program! She performed many well-known masterworks from memory such as Rachmaninoff’s “Bells of Moscow Prelude, Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag, Beethoven’s complete “Moonlight Sonata”, Copland’s “Cat and Mouse Scherzo Fantastique” Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D Minor (WTC1), and others, and she will receive a beautiful diploma. In addition, she has entered 10 National Level Auditions successfully, so she has earned the Paderewski Medal. Congratulations, Megan!

Alex: He received his High School Diploma in Social Music from the ACM for his 10-piece Guild Program! His program included pieces such as the great Bach Fugue in C# minor, Chopin Nocturne Op. 48, No.1, Rachmaninoff Etude-Tableaux, Gershwin Prelude, Joplin, Haydn Sonata in E Minor, and Chopin Grande Waltz Brilliante in F. Congratulations, Alex!

Chloe: Performing a 15-piece program of all Bach works, Chloe received the Advanced Bach Medal from the ACM. Her repertoire included the Bach D minor Harpsichord Concerto, Italian Concerto, Prelude and Fugue in Em (WTC1), numerous Inventions, a Sinfonia, and works from the French and English Suites. In addition, she also performed a regular National Level Audition, for a total of 23 pieces! Amazing!

Max and Judson: For the 5th straight year, Max and Judson have presented National Level Auditions and passed with flying colors! As 5-year award winners, they will be featured in the national magazine “Piano Guild Notes”.

Landon and Linnea: This was their first ever National Guild! They were a bit nervous but did great.

If you didn’t get a chance to share this, our first online recital was a success! Thank you for your recordings and congratulations to all performers! Here is the link to the recital: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjfnYP3MruZcDIL5jjOgHHJEGZ3EtSOme.