2016 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 Omaha on October 13-14, 2016. 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 will be held at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado on January 6-8, 2017. Composition winners will again be determined earlier by an online process.
MTNA Composition Competitions Results
There were nine total composition entries. Judges were J. Daniel Jenkins from Columbia, SC, James Sclater from Clinton, MS, and Phillip Schroeder from Arkadelphia, AR. Teachers are in parenthesis.
ELEMENTARY
Winner: Winston Schneider (Kenneth Meints)
Honorable Mention: Roger Young (Regina Carnazzo)
JUNIOR
Winner: Payton Plugge, (Regina Carnazzo)
Honorable Mention: Eliza Young, (Regina Carnazzo)
SENIOR
Winner: Sofia Vander Zwaag, Student of Regina Carnazzo
Honorable Mention: Grace Young, Student of Regina Carnazzo
The winners in each category have now advanced to the MTNA West Central Division Competition.
2016 MTNA Performance Competitions Results
The Junior and Senior MTNA piano competition winners received a lesson in a master class by Phyllis Lehrer (seated at the piano), a professor of piano and director of graduate piano pedagogy at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, N.J.; Angela Li (winner Junior Piano, student of Gail Dunning and standing directly behind Phyllis); Nicole Santos (winner Senior Piano, student of James Johnson ‘not pictured’)
| MTNA State Winners – Performance Competition | ||||
| Place | Name | Instrument | Teacher | Accompanist |
| Nebraska Chamber Music String – 1 entry | ||||
| Representative | Amore String Quartet | Karen Becker | ||
| An Tran | Violin | |||
| Grace Lamb | Violin | |||
| Travis Taylor | Viola | |||
| Riley Beranek | Cello | |||
| Nebraska Junior Performance Piano – 8 entries | ||||
| Winner | Angela Li | Piano | Gail Dunning | |
| Alternate | Alina Hatfield | Piano | Anne Madison | |
| Nebraska Senior Performance Piano – 7 entries | ||||
| Winner | Nicole Santos | Piano | James Johnson | |
| Alternate | Laura Liu | Piano | Paul Barnes | |
| Honorable Mention | Vighnesh Subramaniam | Piano | Momoro Ono | |
| Nebraska Senior Performance String – 8 entries | ||||
| Winner | Arjuna Maudhoo | Violin | Anne Nagosky | Jennifer Haar |
| Alternate | Alexander Smith | Cello | James Rauch | Yulia Kalashnikova |
| Honorable Mention | Morgan Bennett | Violin | Ruth Meints | Yulia Kalashnikova |
| Nebraska Senior Performance Woodwind – 1 entry | ||||
| Representative | Daniel Fu | Saxophone | Paul Parker | Christi Zuniga |
| Nebraska Young Artist Performance Brass – 2 entries | ||||
| Winner | Jordan Redd | Horn | Alan Mattingly | |
| Alternate | Curtis Stevens | Trumpet | Sidney Shuler | Bobby Pace |
| Nebraska Young Artist Performance String – 1 entry | ||||
| Representative | Riley Beranek | Cello | Karen Becker | Jennifer Novak Haar |
| Nebraska :Young Artist Performance Voice – 1 entry | ||||
| Representative | Alyssa Wetovick | Voice-Mezzo-soprano | Sharon Campbell | Dr. Ruth Moore |
2016 NMTA State Performance Results Competitions Winners
Sixteen pianists and two violinists competed for awards during the 2016 NMTA Performance Competitions held Saturday, October 15, 2016 at the Strauss Center for the Performing Arts, University of Nebraska Omaha.
Phyllis Lehrer, a professor of piano and director of graduate piano pedagogy at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, N.J., adjudicated students for the Junior, Senior, and Collegiate Piano Divisions of the competition.
Alexis Nothelfer (teacher: Anne Madison of Omaha) and Andrew Li (teacher: Gail Dunning of Omaha) tied for First Place in the Junior Piano Division. Luke Miles (teacher: Yulia Kalashnikova of Omaha) won Second Place and Alex Wang (teacher: Chern Voon Fung of Omaha) won Third Place.
Senior Piano Division winners included Elizabeth Friesen, First Place (teacher: Charlotte Heermann, Lincoln); and tied for Second Place, Kason Fiedler and Suzie Cho (both students of Marina Fabrikant of Lincoln).
Winning First Place in the Collegiate Division was Jordan Hoppens. Thomas Prentice won Second Place and Nolan Pribnow, Third Place. All three are piano students of Dr. Valerie Cisler at the University of Nebraska Kearney.
Two students competed in the Senior Violin Division and were judged by Christa Speed of Grand Island. Owen Gong won First Place and Jenna Mu, Second Place (both students of Anne Nagosky of Omaha).
2016 NMTA Junior Piano Competition Winners
Left to Right, Anne Madison (Omaha), teacher of Alexis Nothelfer, tie for first place with Andrew Li, teacher Gail Dunning (Omaha); Luke Miles, second place, teacher Yulia Kalashnikova (Omaha), not pictured; Alex Wang, third place, teacher Chern Voon Fung (Omaha), not pictured.
NMTA Senior Piano Competition Winners
Left to right, Charlotte Heermann (Lincoln), teacher of First Place Winner Elise Friesen; Kason Fiedler, second place tie with Suzie Cho, Marina Fabrikant, (Lincoln) (middle) teacher of both.
NMTA Collegiate Piano Competition Winners
Left to right, Adjudicator Phyllis Lehrer, Jordan Isabella Hoppens, first place; Nolan Pribnow, third place; Thomas Prentice, second place; Dr. Valerie Cisler, (Kearney) teacher of all three.
Senior String Division Winners
Jenna Mu, Second Place; Owen Gong, First Place; (teacher of both, Anne Nagosky, Omaha)