2019-2020 Student Winners

2019 Nebraska MTNA Performance and Composition Competitions Results

The Nebraska state level of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) performance competitions were held at the University of Nebraska at Kearney on October 17 and 18, 2019. Compositions were judged prior to that date by an online process.

NOTE: The winners and representatives in the Nebraska state level of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) performance/composition competitions advance to the West Central Division (WCD) performance competitions. The MTNA Division Competitions will be a video-only round. Nebraska winners do not advance. 

Effective change this year (2019-2020), the Chamber Music Competition will move to a two-tier competition: Preliminary Round by video submission only; and Final Round to be held live at the MTNA National Conference. Ensembles compete without regard to state or division; seven ensembles are selected in both String and Wind categories from a nationwide pool of applicants to compete in the Final Round

MTNA Competition Results

MTNA Piano Masterclass

L to R – Young Artist Winner Seulji Kim, Senior Winner Alina Hatfield and Junior Winner Winston Schneider participated in a piano Master Class with Alexander Kobrin, the NMTA Conference Guest Artist.

Winners, alternates, honorable mentions (teacher’s name in parenthesis) of each level include:

MTNA Young Artist Winners

• Brass – Representative Justin Mohling, Lincoln (Alan Mattingly) not pictured
• Piano – Seulji Kim, Omaha (Kristin Taylor); Alternate Tianyu Luo, Omaha (Washington Garcia); Honorable Mention Sean Lebita, Lincoln (Paul Barnes)
• String – Representative Jocelyn Meyer, Lincoln (Karen Becker)
• Woodwind – Allison Movesian, Lincoln (John Bailey); Alternate Dayton Linhardt, Gretna (Diane Barger)

L to R Young Artist Piano Winner Seulji Kim (Kristin Taylor); Alternate Tianyu Luo (Washinngton Garcia)
Young Artist Piano Honorable Mention Sean Lebita (Paul Barnes)
Young Artist Woodwind Winner Allison Movesian (John Bailey)
Young Artist Woodwind Alternate Dayton Linhardt (Diane Barger)

MTNA Senior Winners

  • Senior Piano Duet – Representatives Crystal Huang & Allison Luo, Omaha (Paul Barnes)
  • Piano – Alina Hatfield, Elkhorn (Anne Madison); Alternate Nathan Liu, Omaha (Anne Madison); Honorable Mention Ealynn Hsu, Lincoln (Marcia Wiebers) and Charles Campbell, Omaha (Jackson Berkey)
  • String –Virginia Jansen, Omaha (Ruth Meints); Alternate Larissa Myers, Lincoln (Ruth Meints); Honorable Mentions Pranay Neelakanta, Elkhorn (Ruth Meints) and Crystal Huang, Omaha (Anne Nagosky)
MTNA Senior Piano Winners with judges L to R Dr Susan Keith Gray [Judge]; Alternate Nathan Liu (Ann Madison); Honorable Mention Ealynn Hsu (Marcia Wiebers); Winner Alina Hatfield (Ann Madison); Judges Dr. James March and Dr. Kathryn March; Honorable Mention Charles Campbell (Jackson Berkey)

MTNA Senior Strings

MTNA Senior Strings L to R Honorable Mention Crystal Huang (Anne Nagosky; Alternate Laryssa Meyers (Ruth Meints); Winner Virginia Jensen (Ruth Meints); Honorable Mention Pranay Neelakantam (Ruth Meints)

MTNA Junior Winners

  • Piano – Winston Schneider, Omaha (Anne Madison); Alternate Matvey Moisseyev, Lincoln (Marina Fabrikant
  • String – Pauline Lee, Omaha (Ruth Meints); Alternate Libby Meade, Omaha (Ruth Meints); Honorable Mention – Jasmine Palikhya, Omaha (Ruth Meints) and Rachel Wu, Omaha (Ruth Meints)

MTNA Junior Piano Winners

L to R Alternate Matvey Moisseyev (Marina Fabrikant); Winner Winston Schneider (Anne Madison)

MTNA Junior String Winners

L to R Alternate Libby Meade; Winner Pauline Lee; Honorable Mentions Rachel Wu and Jasmine Palikhya (all Ruth Meints)

MTNA Junior String Winners

MTNA Elementary Composition:
Winner: Joe Arndorfer, Omaha (Regina Carnazzo)
Honorable mention: Will Moreland, Lincoln (Nancy Schoen)

MTNA Junior Composition:
Winner: Winston Schneider, Omaha (Kenneth Meints)
Honorable mention: Maria Fix, Lincoln (Nancy Schoen)

MTNA Senior Composition:
Winner: Payton Plugge, Omaha (Regina Carnazzo)
Honorable mention: Grace Young, Omaha, (Regina Carnazzo)

NMTA State Winners

Nebraska winners do not advance.

NMTA Collegiate Piano Pre-Competition (Jr/Sr)

Honorable Mention – Pranita Devaraju, Omaha, (Kristin Taylor)

NMTA Collegiate Piano Pre-Competition (Freshman/Sophomore)

1st place – Lillian Kraft, Omaha (Kristin Taylor)
2nd place – Bryn Groenjes, Omaha (Kristin Taylor)

1st place – NMTA Collegiate Piano Pre-Competition (Freshman/Sophomore) Lillian Kraft
2nd place – NMTA Collegiate Piano Pre-Competition (Freshman/Sophomore) Bryn Groenjes

NMTA Senior Piano Competition

1st place – Justin Lewis, (Stella Saperstein)
2nd place – Edith Hickman, (Tammy Miller)
3rd place- Isabella Zink, Omaha (Jennifer Novak Haar)  
Honorable Mentions to both Meghan Walter, Wayne (Angela Miller-Niles) and Mark Anderson, Omaha (Jennifer Novak-Haar)

NMTA Senior Piano Competition

1st place – Justin Lewis (Stella Saperstein)
2nd place – Edith Hickman, (Tammy Miller)
3rd place- Isabella Zink, Omaha (Jennifer Novak Haar)

NMTA Senior Piano Competition Honorable Mention

Meghan Walter, Wayne (Angela Miller-Niles)
Mark Anderson Omaha (Jennifer Novak-Haar)

NMTA Junior Competition

1st place –   Austin Lewis, (Stella Saperstein) and
Jordan Zhang, Lincoln, (Mai Butler)
2nd place – Daniel Crow, Omaha, (Chern Voon Fung)
3rd place – Katie Ramos, Omaha, (Candace Sutter)

NMTA Junior Piano Competition

1st place tie – Austin Lewis
(Stella Saperstein)
1st place tie Jordan Zhang,
Lincoln (Mai Butler)
2nd place – Daniel Crow, Omaha, (Chern Voon Fung)
3rd place – Katie Ramos, Omaha, (Candace Sutter)