2015-16 Student Winners

2015 Nebraska MTNA Performance and Composition Competitions Winners Report

The Nebraska state level of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) performance/composition competitions were held at the University of Nebraska at Kearney on October 15, 2015.

(NOTE: The winners and representatives in the Nebraska state level of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) performance/composition competitions will advance to the West Central Division Competitions to be held January 8-10, 2016 at Wichita State University in Wichita, KS.)

Teachers are in parentheses:

MTNA ELEMENTARY
COMPOSITION (6 entries): Winner, Roger Young (Regina Carnazzo, Omaha); Honorable Mention, Gabriel Marks (Jessica Freeman, Lincoln)

MTNA JUNIOR
COMPOSITION (6 entries): Winner, Payton Plugge (Regina Carnazzo, Omaha); Honorable Mention, Martha Walstad (Nancy Schoen, Lincoln)
PIANO (13 entries): Winner, Airi Kokuryo (Momoro Ono, Omaha); Alternate, Alina Hatfield (Anne Madison, Omaha); Honorable Mention, Julia Becker (Kenneth Soh, Omaha); Cynthia France (James Johnson, Omaha), Vighnesh Subramaniam (Momoro Ono, Omaha)
STRING (4 entries): Winner, Alisha Stafford (Ruth Meints, Omaha); Alternate, Meera Nair (Jules DeSalvo, Omaha)

MTNA SENIOR
COMPOSITION (5 entries): Winner, Sofia Vanderzwaag (Regina Carnazzo, Omaha); Honorable Mention, Kaitlyn Rozeboom (Regina Carnazzo, Omaha)
PIANO (9 entries): Winner, Yi-Chen Lee (Momoro Ono, Omaha); Alternate, Nicole Santos (James Johnson, Omaha); Honorable Mention, Jonathan Herman (Paul Barnes, Lincoln), Brian Kelly (Paul Parker, Omaha)
PIANO DUET (1 entry): Representatives, Nicole Santos and Renee Santos (James Johnson, Omaha)
STRING (4 entries): Winner, Isabella Amador (Ruth Meints, Omaha); Alternate, Arjuna Maudhoo (Anne Nagosky, Omaha); Honorable Mention, Morgan Bennett (Ruth Meints, Omaha)

MTNA YOUNG ARTIST
BRASS (1 entry): Representative, Joseph Klinck (Alan Mattingly, Lincoln)
PIANO (2 entries): Winner, Ayane Nakajima (Nathan Buckner/Jonathan Sokasits, Kearney); Alternate, Che Vu (James Johnson, Omaha)
STRING (1 entry): Representative, Grace Lamb (David Neely, Lincoln)
VOICE (1 entry): Representative, Hajeong Lee (Sharon Campbell, Kearney)
WOODWIND (3 entries): Winner, Hannah Bell (Diane Barger, Lincoln); Alternate, Elizabeth Johnson (Diane Barger, Lincoln); Honorable Mention, Tyler Walker (David Nabb, Kearney)

MTNA CHAMBER MUSIC
STRING (1 entry): Representatives, Holmes Trio (Vlad Evstafiev, violin; Nicholas May, saxophone; Andrew Paulson, piano; Paul Barnes, Lincoln)
WIND (1 entry): Representatives, Hijinx Clarinet Quartet (Jennifer Reeves, Nicole Jensen, Katie Rice, Elizabeth Johnson; Diane Barger, Lincoln)

MTNA Competitions Winners Recital Participants
NMTA Winner
The following played in the MTNA Winners Recital at the University of Nebraska at Kearney on October 16, 2015. Left to Right: Airi Kokuryo (Winner of Junior Piano, teacher: Momoro Ono)
Ayane Nakajima (Winner of YA Piano, teacher: Nathan Buckner/Jonathan Sokasits)
Yi-Chen Lee (Winner of Senior Piano, teacher: Momoro Ono)
Isabella Amador (Winner of Senior Strings, teacher: Ruth Meints)
Alisha Stafford (Winner of Junior Strings, teacher: Ruth Meints)

NMTA Winners
Students Win Honors in State Nebraska Music Teachers Association Competitions

Piano, flute, clarinet and saxophone soloists took the stage at University of Nebraska Kearney, October 17, for the 2015 NMTA Performance Competitions. Dr. Peter Mack, the featured concert pianist for the prior NMTA Conference, adjudicated eleven piano entries and Dr. David Nabb, Woodwind Professor at UNK, judged four woodwind solos.

Award winners in the Junior Piano Division included:
First Place: Kim Fedorchuck (teacher, Ken Soh); Second Place: Lucy Tu (teacher, Paul Parker); Third Place: Kathleen Nguyen (teacher, Jo Riecker-Karl) and Alex Wang (teacher, Chern Voon Fung).

Award winners in the Senior Piano Division included:
First Place: Marissa Mathia (teacher, Ken Soh); Second Place: Emily Zhang (teacher, Paul Parker) and Taylor Anson (teacher, Linda Christensen); Third Place: Christina Youn (teacher, Yulia Kalashnikova) and Jonathan Meckel (teacher, Charlotte Heermann).

Award Winners in the Senior Woodwind Division included:
First Place: Tori Qui, clarinet; Second Place: Lauren Qui, flute; Third Place: Jessica Brown, Saxophone. All three soloists are students of Paul Parker.

Composers represented in the competitions included Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Grieg, Scarlatti, Mozart, Granados, Goldston, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Villa Lobos, Debussy, Haydn, Czerny, and Schumann.

NMTA Winner
Junior Division NMTA Winners
Left to Right: Dr. Peter Mack, Adjudicator, Kathleen Nguyen, third place tie (teacher, Jo Riecker-Karl); Lucy Tu, second place (teacher, Paul Parker); Kim Fedorchuck, first place (teacher, Ken Soh); Alex Wang, third place tie (teacher, Chern Voon Fung)

NMTA Winner
Senior Division NMTA Winners
Left to Right: Dr. Peter Mack, Adjudicator, Marissa Mathia, first place (teacher, Ken Soh); Jonathan Meckel, third place tie (teacher, Charlotte Heermann); Christina Youn, third place (teacher, Yulia Kalashnikova); Emily Zhang, tie for second place (teacher, Paul Parker); Taylor Anson, tie for second place (teacher, Linda Christensen)

NMTA Winner
Senior Woodwind Division Winners
Left to Right: Lauren Qui, second place, flute; Tori Qui, first place, clarinet; Not pictured: Jessica Brown, third place, saxophone (all three students of Paul Parker)