40th Deborah Kahan Competition Winners
String Division
1st Place Winners
Julian Thomas
Hope Hongo
2nd Place Winners
Itamar Nadav
Genevieve Wie
Arthur Wie
Isabella Mariani
3rd Place Winners
Leonardo Manzone
Honorable Mention
Camilla Sarracino
Piano Division
1st Place Winners
Francesca Asmar. --please play Kabalevsky Galop at the winners concert
Emma Edmondson--Maykapar Tarantella
Itamar Nadav --Mozart Fantasy at the winners' concert
Hajune Lee--Clementi Op.36-3 at the winners concert
Claire Xie--Carvalho Toccata at the winners concert
Avigail Kohl -- Chopin Ballade #2
Giora Nadav --Chopin Ballade #3
Sophie Zhong-- Bach Gigue from French Suite and Price Prelude both
Abigail Chang --Beethoven Concerto #3 Rondo
2nd Place Winners
Joshua Chang
Matthew Whee
Keshav Gopal
3rd Place Winners
Daniel Kang
Abigail Wang
William Law
Jackson Jansa
Olivia Whee
Haruka Yasue
Mikoto Siegenfeld
Honorable Mention
Shannon Li
Anh Nguyen
Emanuel Medalla
Rohan Gowthaman
Grace Chi
Ahan Ghosh-Rao
Judges Special Award
Julian Thomas (string)
Sophie Zhang (piano)
Deborah Kahan Memorial Award and Dorothy Grimm award will be announced at the winners' concert.
Teachers of First Place Winners
Teri Einfeldt
Kumiko Imamura
Dan Nadav
Margarita Nuller
Peter Seidenberg
Soojung Sharp
Tomoko Uchino Thomas
Congratulations!!!
2024-2025 Season
Fall Public Recital: Pequot Library
Recital Date: Saturday, November 16th, 1-3:30 pm
Location: Pequot Library
720 Pequot Ave, Southport, CT 06890
Registration deadline: Saturday, November 2nd (email stelmanv@yahoo.com)
Participation fee:
$20 per student for solo performance
$30 for duets (both performers)
Please send one check for all participating students to:
Olga Stelman
503 Booth Hill Rd
Trumbull CT 06611
Repertoire: Classical repertoire and music by pedagogical composers. Pieces must be memorized.
Chair: Olga Stelman (stelmanv@yahoo.com)
Eleventh Annual Festival Audition
The goal of this festival is to provide recognition to talented and motivated students who can prepare for an evaluated audition and are confident enough to perform in public. It is open to students of voice, piano, and all other instruments.
Students who place in the top category this year will also be invited to enter the Deborah Kahan Competition in January.
Festival Date: Sunday, December 15th, 2024 1-5 pm
Registration Deadline: Sunday, December 1st
Checks and applications should be sent to Andrew Gordon, 23 Sullivan Drive, Redding, CT, 06896
Westport Suzuki School
246 Post Rd East
Westport CT 06880
Andrew Gordon, chairs: andrewmgordon@optonline.net
Click on ‘Festival’ for more specific guidelines and the application form
40th Annual Deborah Kahan Competition
This competition is open Piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar; soloists, duos, or any combination of piano and strings. Students must be between the ages of 6 and 18. For more information visit the 'Competition' page.
Competition Date: Sunday, January 26th
Winner's recital: Saturday, February 1st @ 5 pm
Registration Deadline: Monday, January 13th
Competition Location:
Westport Suzuki School
246 Post Rd East
Westport CT 06880
Winner's Concert Location:
Steinway & Sons, Greenwich
1545 E Putnam Ave, Old Greenwich, CT 06870
Co-chairs: Hiroko Dutton and Kumiko Imamura (Hiroko Dutton and Kumiko Imamura, chairs, deborahkahancompetition@gmail.com)
Click on ‘Competition’ for more specific guidelines and the application form
Pro Piano Ensemble Concert
Unlike most CSMTA events, which are geared toward students, this concert is open to adult teachers and professional pianists. Participants meet regularly to rehearse and receive coaching from a professional piano duo to prepare. It's a great way to meet other colleagues and have a chance to play for each other.
Repertoire:
Piano music for 4, 8, 12 or more hands. Two pianos or piano duet/trio/quartet. Piano ensembles (at least 4 hands) with other instruments are also possible.
Saturday, April 5th 2-3:30
Pequot Library
720 Pequot Ave, Southport CT
Co-chairs: Dorothy Grimm & Benjamin Steinhardt
For more information contact: fairfieldcountymusicteachers@gmail.com
Community recital
Date and location TBA
Community Recitals are Student Recitals that take place in local senior homes. Residents are very happy to see young people performing for them and we always hear lots of positive comments.
Submission Deadline:
Chair: Benjamin Steinhardt (Benjamin.Steinhardt@gmail.com)
Spring Showcase Recital
Recital Date: Sunday, June 15th 1:00-3:30 (concert starts @ 1:30)
Repertoire: Classical repertoire and music by pedagogical composers.
Solo Pieces must be memorized.
Student/Student duet is allowed with music. (No Student/Teacher is permitted)
Chair: Hiroko Dutton (pianohdutton@gmail.com)
Location: Brubeck Room at Wilton Library
137 Old Ridgefield Road
Wilton, CT 06897
Registration Fee: $20 per student
DEADLINE:
The deadline for the Written Registration Form with a check by a teacher is postmarked Friday, June 6, 2025 (strictly enforced without exception).
Register online at pianohdutton@gmail.com. Registration Fee via Zelle from the teacher’s bank account (registered with Email or Phone#) by Friday, June 6, 2025, at Midnight.
Performance time limit: Maximum Total of 20 minutes per teacher including 1 minute space between students
M.A.P. (Music Achievement Program)
Date: May 17th 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: Weston Library
56 Norfield Rd, Weston, CT 06883
The MAP (Musicianship Achievement Program) is directed at students of CSMTA teachers and offers both a Performance and Theory section. Held annually, students can choose to participate in the Full MAP (both performance and theory) or just the Theory exam. With a total of 10 levels, students have the opportunity to perform memorized pieces, display keyboard skills, and demonstrate written/aural awareness following the prescribed MAP syllabus.
For more information:
https://csmta.org/students/music-achievement-program-map/
Chair: Seray Goktekin
We look forward to seeing you and your students soon!
