Competition Winners
2012 Eastern Division Competition, January 7, 2012
Annling Wang, Piano - WINNER, Eastern Division Junior Piano Competition. Svitlana Fiorito, teacher.
INEO SAXOPHONE QUARTET - WINNER, Eastern Division Chamber Music Competition. Carrie Koffman, Coach. Hartt School.
Lillian Lee, Violin - ALTERNATE, Eastern Division High School String Competition. Annie Trepanier, Teacher. Fabio Witkowski, accompanist.
2011 MTNA Competition, November 2011
CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION:
WINNER: Ineo Saxophone Quartet (Wind - Saxophone Quartet)
Joseph Abad / soprano saxophone
Andrew Barnhart / alto saxophone
Max Schwimmer / tenor saxophone
Andrew Studenski / baritone saxophone
COACH: Carrie Koffman
Alternate: Party of 4 (Wind - Saxophone Quartet)
Ian Robinson / Soprano Saxophone
Jared Charette / Baritone Saxophone
Kara Cook / Alto Saxophone
Victoria Medeiros / Tenor Saxophone
COACH: Carrie Koffman
Honorable Mention: Coalescence Quartet (Wind - Saxophone Quartet)
Amy Eisenstadt / Soprano Saxophone
Lisa Conant / Alto Saxophone
Colette Hall / Tenor Saxophone
Jeff Hulfish / Baritone Saxophone
COACH: Carrie Koffman
COMPOSITION: SENIOR LEVEL:
Representative: Felix Jarrar
Teacher: Burton Hatheway
PIANO: JUNIOR LEVEL:
Representative: Annling Wang
Teacher: Svitlana Fiorito
PIANO: SENIOR LEVEL:
Winner: Ming WIlson
Teacher: Thomas Martin
Alternate: Amanda Watson
Teacher: Tomoko Uchino
PIANO: YOUNG ARTIST LEVEL:
Winner: Fonyue Donn
Teacher: Paul Rutman
Alternate: Stefan Gurtner
Teacher: David Westfall
WOODWIND: YOUNG ARTIST LEVEL:
Representative: Anthony Speranza, Saxophone
Teacher: Carrie Koffman
STRING: SENIOR LEVEL:
Representative: Lillian Lee, Violin
Teacher: Annie Trepanier
Accompanist: Fabio Witkowski
2011 Young Artist Piano Competition Winners
The 2011 YAPC was held on Friday, March 11 at Shawn's Pianos, 221 Newfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT. Estrid Eklof and Bridget de Moura Castro served as co-chairs for this event. The 2011 competition drew five competitors from throughout the state of Connecticut, representing Vassar College and the Hartt School, and study with Luiz de Moura Castro. The judges were>
Michiko Shoji, Toho School of Music, Sendai, Japan,
Hae Sun Paik, New England Conservatory, Boston, and
Thomas Mastroianni, Catholic University, Washington, DC
Winners:
1st place William Healey
2nd place Myung-sik Cho
3rd place Corbin Beisner
The winner will appear with New Haven Chamber Orchestra,
The Suzuki Music Schook, Westport,
St. James Church, Farmington,
Pomperaug Woods, Southbury, and
The State Convention in the fall of 2012
The second place winner will perform at the Simsbury Library
Ethel Walker School, Simsbury
The third place winner will perform at The Meadows, Essex,
The Seabury, Bloomfield,
Gloria Dei Church, Bristol and
The Whitney Center, Hamden
Finalist Nathaniel Baker will perform at The Academy Point, Mystic and
Hopewell Baptist Church, Windsor
Finalist Ling Zhou will perform at St. Monica's Church, Hartford
1st prize William Healy
He began studying piano with Dennis Malone at the age of four. From a young age his passion for music was clear. He composed constantly, beginning to play jazz trumpet at age nine. He currently studies music at Vassar College in NY and under Luiz de Maura Castro in Avon, CT. He directs and conducts a contemporary music chamber orchestra called Mahogany and plans to pursue composition and piano performance.
2nd prize Myungsik Cho
Graduated from Daejeon Art High School in Korea. University of Hartford BM 2008, Manhattan School of Music MM 2010, studied and is studying with Marc Silverman and Luis de Maura Castro.
3rd prize Corbin Beisner
Born in 1988 in Las Vegas, NV where he began learning the piano by studying jazz and composition. Later, he found his passion in classical music. He has participated in the International Piano Academy in Freiburg, Germany, the Barcelona Forum Internacionalde Musica in Spain, the Lake Como Summer Piano Academy in Italy, and the International Piano Festival in Obidos, Portugal. He has worked with several world-renowned pianists including Paul Badura-Skoda, Boris Berman, and Vitaly Margulis.
He has won numerous awards including 1st prize in the festival competition in Freiburg, Germany, premier prize in the Obidos Piano Competition, and third prize in the International Liszt Competition in California. He was also a laureate of the first Fulbright Concerto Competition in Arkansas.
He has given concerts in Spain, performances with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Indiana Lafayette Symphony, Beth El Orchestra in Hartford, CT. He studies with Luiz de Maura Castro and received his BM, summa cum laude, from the Hartt School in Hartford, CT.
2011 Eastern Division Competition, January 8, 2011
| MTNA Junior Piano Performance Competition | Winner: Annling Wang (Svitlana Fiorito) |
| MTNA Senior Piano Competition | Winner: Alex Beyer (Yoshie Akimoto) |
| MTNA Senior String Performance Competition | Alternate: Lillian Lee (Annie Trepanier) |
| MTNA Chamber Music Competition | Winner: Arioso Trio (Carrie Koffman) Anthony Speranza / Saxophone; Kendra Emery / Saxophone; Cihan Yucel / Piano |
2010 MTNA Competition, November 21, 2010
Winners and state representatives will advance to the MTNA Division Competitions in January. Teachers names are listed in parentheses. Many thanks to David Westfall, Margreet Francis and Carolyn Halsted, who chair the MTNA competitions within the Connecticut State Music Teachers Association.
MTNA Junior Piano Performance Competition
Representative: Annling Wang (Svitlana Fiorito)
MTNA Junior String Performance Competition
Representative: Emily Nishiwaki (Janice Lamarre)
MTNA Senior Composition Competition
Winner: Felix Jarrar (Burton Hatheway)
Honorable Mention: Gregory Schaefer (Paul Levi)
MTNA Senior Piano Competition
Winner: Alex Beyer (Yoshie Akimoto)
Alternate: Angela Chen (Fabio Witkowski)
Honorable Mention: Esther Woo (Gisele Witkowski)
MTNA Senior String Performance Competition
Winner: Lillian Lee (Annie Trepanier)
Alternate: Gunnar Moll (Teri Einfeldt)
MTNA Young Artist Piano Performance Competition
Representative: Stefan Gurtner (David Westfall/ Luiz de Moura Castro)
MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Performance Competition
Winner: Carin Powell, Flute (Barbara Hopkins)
Alternate: Sophie Roy, Flute (Barbara Hopkins)
MTNA Chamber Music Competition
Winner: Arioso Trio (Carrie Koffman)
Anthony Speranza / Saxophone; Kendra Emery / Saxophone; Cihan Yucel / Piano
Alternate: Ineo Saxophone Quartet (Carrie Koffman)
Mallory Kokus / tenor saxophone; Kindall NeSmith / alto saxophone; Joseph Abad / soprano saxophone; Andrew Studenski / baritone saxophone
2010 Young Artist Piano Competition Winners
First Place and Recipient of Ethel Bonars Storrs Gold Medal: Stefan Gurtner (Austria), Graduate student at the Hartt School of Music, where he studies with David Westfall and Luiz de Moura Castro.
Second Prize (sponsored by Farmington Valley Concert series and Harmony Hill Concerts): Patricia Guadagnole (Brazil), Senior at the Hartt School of Music where she studies with Luiz de Moura Castro.
Third prize (sponsored by the Maxwell Shepherd Fund): Nathaniel Baker (United States), Senior at the Hartt School of Music, where he studies with Luiz de Moura Castro
2010 Eastern Division Competition, January 9, 2010
MTNA Senior Competitions
Piano
EASTERN DIVISION ALTERNATE: Alex Beyer (Yoshie Akimoto)
Brass
EASTERN DIVISION WINNER: John DelVento (Charles Emerich)
Strings
EASTERN DIVISION ALTERNATE: Chelsea Smith (Ann Setzer)
Woodwinds
EASTERN DIVISION ALTERNATE: Hye Yeon Chang (Fabio Witkowski)
MTNA Young Artist Competitions
Woodwinds
EASTERN DIVISION HONORABLE MENTION: Joseph Abad (Carrie Koffman) Winner
2009 MTNA National Competitions, November 1, 2009
JUNIOR COMPETITIONS
Piano
WINNER: Ethan Wu (Teacher: Sima Brodsky)
ALTERNATE: Michae Mei (Teacher: Svitlana Fiorito)
SENIOR COMPETITIONS
Piano
WINNER: Alex Beyer (Yoshie Akimoto)
ALTERNATE: Frederick Jenkins (Fabio Witkowski)
Brass
REPRESENTATIVE: John DelVento (Charles Emerich)
Strings
REPRESENTATIVE: Chelsea Smith (Ann Setzer)
Woodwinds
REPRESENTATIVE: Hye Yeon Chang (Fabio Witkowski)
YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITIONS
Composition
REPRESENTATIVE: Stephen Feigenbaum (Michael Klingbeil)
Chamber Music
REPRESENTATIVE: Hartt Saxophone Quartet (Carrie Koffman)
Woodwinds
WINNER: Joseph Abad (Carrie Koffman)
ALTERNATE: Joseph D'Aleo (Carrie Koffman)
2008 Concerto Competition Winner
Connie Zhou (student of Edith Sullivan, NCTM)
2007 Concerto Competition Winners
First place - Shiori Yamaguchi (student of Lan-Ya Huang)
Second place - Connie Yuan Zhou (student of Edith Sullivan, NCTM)
2006 Concerto Competition Winners
Junior Division
First place - Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld (student of Michelle Zingale)
Second place - Jenny Lu (student of Edith Sullivan, NCTM)
Senior Division
First place - Mina Um (student of Linda Fiore)
Second place - Joshua Sawicki (student of Watson Morrison)