2021 VMTA Virtual Conference
Conference Program Book
2021 General Business Meeting Agenda
2021 2022 Budget

Dr. Fred Karpoff Workshop:

Practice Pointers for Perplexing Passages - Plus Effortless Trills and Tremolos

Dr. Fred Karpoff will share multiple practice strategies for solving repertoire conundrums, drawing upon passages recently submitted by piano teachers that pose problems for their students or themselves. Teachers requested "tips and drills" for playing these spots confidently and accurately, redistributing awkward passages, and memorizing effectively, and the featured repertoire includes fast chromatic scales, jumps, pedaling issues, legato fingering for smaller hands, trills, double trills, and more. We will provide a PDF of the examples via email, so that you may follow the scores while Fred demonstrates solutions for us. Additionally, Fred will amplify his presentation with a segments of his session, Effortless Trills and Tremolos.


Practice Pointers for Perplexing Passages
Effortless Trills and Tremelos
Video Presentation

Dr. Fred Karpoff Biography:

After recovering from a career-threatening injury, Fred Karpoff continues to develop his multi-dimensional approach to piano teaching and technique through a wide range of experience, combining and building upon elements of Tai chi, the Alexander Technique, and the Feldenkrais Method® with the work of many piano pedagogues. He guides teachers and students toward more efficient, healthful, and expressive piano playing as Artistic Producer of Entrada Piano at https://entradapiano.com.

An international Steinway Artist, Fred has performed as both soloist and collaborative pianist in China, India, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and throughout North America and Europe. With a DMA from the Peabody Conservatory, he studied with Ann Schein, Yoheved Kaplinsky, and Leon Fleisher, and has had extensive coachings with Karl Ulrich Schnabel and Richard Goode.

A former USIA Artistic Ambassador, Visiting Professor at the Eastman School of Music, and current Professor of Piano at Syracuse University, he was named the winner of MTNA's Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award.


Dr. Eric Ruple

Dr. Eric Ruple Workshop:

The Big Move: Transitioning High School Music Students to the University

This workshop is an opportunity to hear about the opportunities for high school music students to continue music studies in the college or university of their choice.

Pianist and Steinway Artist Dr. Eric Ruple is from the United States of America and is Professor of Piano at James Madison University (Virginia, USA). He received his doctoral degree in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan, with additional degrees from The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and Arizona State University.


Details and Video Presentation

Dr. Wanchi Workshop:

Practice Effectively using Limited Resources for Beginning,
Intermediate and Advanced level Students and Ourselves


When there is a shortage of time or monetary means for our students to purchase a wide variety of etudes and scales books, I find it imperative to invent new methods using the only resource they have. This resource could be one Xerox copy of an orchestra excerpt that was handed out by their orchestra director, a Suzuki book, a movement or a concerto printed out from IMSLP.ORG.

Over the years, I find that I have had to improvise new methods right on the spot, such as creating a variety of rhythmic, harmonic and melodic patterns based on isolated sections straight from that very piece of music in front of them. Different types of challenges may have included shifting, rhythm, and intonation. Methods will be explored and demonstrated in the presentation using limited resources. Repertoire excerpts from three different skill levels will be discussed.


Details and Video Presentation

Dr. Wanchi

Christy Tallamy

Christy Tallamy Workshop:

Conceive, Create, Complete: Shaping Musical Minds through Composition


Composition engages the complete musical mind - promoting critical and creative thinking. It is a bridge between learning music and understanding music. Yet we often view composition as an extra or even advanced skill - one we don't have time to teach. In this presentation, you will learn how to mentor your students in developing basic composition skills, how to efficiently incorporate composition into your regular lessons, and how to inspire students to conceive, create and complete their musical idea.


Details and Video Presentation

Guilherme Andreas

The Colorful Sound of Romantic Brazilian
Music for Flute and Piano

- Exploring Standard and Newly Uncovered Repertoire

Brazilian music is more than Samba and Bosss Nova. The goal of the presentation is to introduce standard and newly uncovered repertoire by Brazilian classical composers. It includes selected romantic works by Villa-Lobos, Miguez, and other Brazilians.


Guilherme Andreas, Flute
Dr. Gianne Zhu, piano

Details and Video Presentation
Dr. Gianne Zhu

John Winn

Commissioned Composer Presentation


John Winn, Composer
Modalities
Hope Armstrong Erb, piano

Details and Video Presentation
Hope Armstrong Erb

2021 VMTA Concerto Competition Winners

  • Piano High School Winner: Viet Dao
    (student of Maria Yefimova)
  • Piano High School Senior-College Winner: Colin Carmody
    (student of Maria Yefimova)
  • Strings High School Winner: Ari Cho Han, violin
    (student of Wanchi Huang)
  • Woodwinds High School Winner: Lily Walters, flute
    (student of Jennifer Lapple)
  • Woodwinds High School Alternate: Jiwoo Hwang, flute
    (student of Youn Young Yi)
  • Woodwinds High School Honorable Mention: Kate Lee, flute
    (student of Youn Young Yi)
  • Woodwinds High School Senior-College Winner: Erin Eady, clarinet
    (student of Garrick Zoeter)

Concerto Winner Videos

2021 VMTA State Auditions Winners

  • Piano Level IA First Prize: Karissa Lin
  • Piano Level IA Second Prize: Stephen Chen
  • Piano Level IA Honorable Mention: Anne Tang
  • Piano Level IA Honorable Mention: Chelsea Li

  • Piano Level IB First Prize: Charles Zhao
  • Piano Level IB Second Prize: Emery Que
  • Piano Level IB Honorable Mention: Lauren Kang

  • Piano Level II First Prize: Felix Xu
  • Piano Level II Second Prize: Sophia Lin
  • Piano Level II Honorable Mention: Maria Neal

  • Piano Level III First Prize: Ethan Zhou
  • Piano Level III Second Prize: Harrison Benford
  • Piano Level III Honorable Mention: Maxyn Hallare

  • Violin Level III First Prize: Donovan Williams

First Prize Winner Videos
Details (PDF)

2021 MTNA Winners - Virginia

  • Sophia Lin, piano - MTNA Junior Piano Winner
  • Joanna Cheng, piano - MTNA Senior Piano Winner
  • Erik Midkiff, violin - MTNA Senior Strings Winner
  • Ella Rose Reidway - MTNA Senior Voice Winner
  • Krystal Wu, clarinet - MTNA Senior Woodwinds Winner
  • Trung Nguyen - MTNA Young Artist Piano Winner
  • Emily Ilyes, violin - MTNA Young Artist Strings Winner
  • Peter Mattson, clarinet - MTNA Young Artist Woodwinds Winner
  • Chloe Biggs, MTNA Senior Composition Winner

MTNA Winner Videos

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