Date: March 29, 2025
Co-Chairs: Tatjana Podjaski-Desler (Email) and Christine Pappas (Email)
Location: Frederick Community College, Visual and Performing Arts Center (Bldg. F), 7932 Oppossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21702. Park in Lot 9. Click here for campus map.
Time: All day; individual times to be announced two weeks before the Festival.
Fee: $20 per student. Teachers, please write one check from your studio (payable to FCMTA) for the total fees, and send to Cindy Taylor, 904 Twin Oak Court, Frederick MD 21701, postmarked by February 23, 2025. Or send money by PayPal.com using email address fcmtatreasurer@gmail.com.
Deadline: Registration data (see below) must be submitted via email to Tatjana Podjaski-Desler (Email) by February 23, 2025.
Description:
FCMTA will host its 19th Annual “Sonatina/Sonata Festival” this year. This is an opportunity for piano students to perform a selection from the vast repertoire of Sonatinas and Sonatas, as well as a contrasting piece. Students will be placed into groups of about 12 students, and will perform in a recital-like format, while a piano adjudicator evaluates their performance. All students will receive a written evaluation by the adjudicator and a certificate.
Students must play one sonatina or sonata movement and one contrasting piece of the teacher’s choice. The contrasting piece must be in a contrasting style and time period (exception: at the Elementary and Late Elementary the second piece may be from the same period, but it should contrast in style). The contrasting piece should be the same level of difficulty as the sonatina or sonata. (The teacher may choose to use any edition of the music, but the music must remain intact: no simplified or shortened versions will be acceptable.)
The student’s repertoire must not exceed 10 minutes, total, for levels up to the Advanced Level. Advanced Level time limit is 15 minutes. Memorization is preferred – students who use music will have points deducted for memorization but still may participate. Each student is to have his/her copy of the original music ready to present to the judge. Students with photocopied music will be DISQUALIFIED from the event. Music produced from CD files, procured from public domain sources such as the Petrucci Music Library (imslp.org), or electronically purchased music is acceptable.
Repeats are generally not to be taken in the sonata or sonatina movement, except for short repeats (8 – 16 measures), or for balance of the form. At the discretion of the teacher, repeats may be used in the contrasting piece if it serves to enhance the music. Both D.C. and D.S. should be taken as indicated. Keep time limits in mind when deciding about repeats.
Teachers must be members of FCMTA and must be available to assist on the day of the event. Duties are check-in desk, recital door greeter and printed program distribution, MC/adjudicator assistant, taking lunch orders and pick-up, setting up, and tearing down. If this is not possible there are a few jobs that can be done ahead of the event. Please contact Tatjana Podjaski-Desler (Email) to help with one of those tasks. Job assignments for the day of the event will be sent out before the Festival.
Teachers, click here to view this year’s Parental Consent Form, along with other associated information. Teachers should print this page out and distribute, one to each student to be entered.
TO REGISTER STUDENTS: Send the following information for each student registration to Tatjana Podjaski-Desler (Email) by February 23, 2025: Student’s name, age, level (elementary, late elementary, early intermediate, intermediate, late intermediate, early advanced, or advanced), performance piece #1 (title, composer, length, and tempo marking), and performance piece #2 (title, composer, length, and tempo marking).