Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival

Begun in 1980 by Dorothy Sutton, the Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival is an opportunity for the talented music student to participate in a State Festival in a Showcase Recital. To assure high standards, the student must first qualify in Local Preliminary Auditions, and must demonstrate a minimal knowledge of music theory by passing a written theory exam with a grade of 85%. Students performing at the State Festival Showcase Recital will receive a gold medal and a Certificate of Participation.

Eligibility & Requirements

Teacher

The teacher must have paid local, state and national dues prior to the Local Association’s deadline for submitting applications. Teachers may belong to more than one Local Association, but students may perform at only one local event.

Student

Any piano, vocal or instrumental student of a PMTA member may participate in the DSPF Preliminary Auditions. Participating students must reside in Pennsylvania. Any age may participate, including adults. Students in ensembles who are not students of members may participate for an extra fee, and the ensemble must be coached by the PMTA member.

Locations

Local

Check with your Local Festival Chairperson.

State

The 2012 State PMTA Solo and Ensemble Showcase Recitals and the PMTA Concerto Festival will be held on Saturday, October 27, 2012 at Seton Hill College, Greensburg PA. Students, parents and friends are welcome and encouraged to attend the these recitals. Check back later for more details.

Preliminary Auditions

General Information

Each Local PMTA Association will hold local preliminary auditions. At these auditions, solo performers and ensemble teams will perform repertoire according to the Performance Requirements outlined below. Performers who receive a Superior rating and have scored 85% or higher on a theory test can advance to the state level for performance in a Showcase Recital. Performers (solo and ensembles) in the Showcase Recitals must play the ONE piece the preliminary audition judge chose. All students at the preliminary level will receive written critiques from the judge with comments supporting the rating, and a “Certificate of Participation.” Local Associations may offer additional awards to students, such as ribbons, trophies, medals, or other special recognition awards, at their own expense. Local Associations may decide the make up of ensembles, depending on piano and pace availability at their local facility.

Performance Requirements

Musical Scores: One original copy of the music must be provided for the judges. Photocopies are strictly prohibited, unless there is express written permission from the publisher. It is the teacher’s responsibility to submit a signed photocopy release form at time of enrollment. NOTE: CD sheet music is permissible.

  • Accompanists: The student must provide his own accompanist, which may be his/her teacher. Accompanists must have original music, but may photocopy a page for to facilitate page turns.
  • Length of time: Performances may not exceed fifteen (15) minutes and may be adjusted by the local chairperson.
  • Solo: Two (2) memorized pieces of a contrasting nature by different composers, preferably from two (2) different eras in the more advanced levels.
  • New Solo Piano Repertoire Requirements: All piano selections must be a minimum of sixteen (16) measures without repeats, including elementary level students. Simplications, or arrangements are NOT acceptable at the intermediate and advanced levels unless the original composer is the arranger (i.e. Liszt transcriptions, Brahms Waltzes.) Unacceptable repertoire includes, arrangements of movie, broadway or pop songs, hymns, organ literature, etc; simplified or partial versions of classical repertoire–anything not originally composed for piano solo.
  • Ensemble: Two pieces of a contrasting nature by different composers, preferably from two (2) different eras in the more advanced levels. Memory not required. Teachers may conduct or accompany their ensembles. An ensemble is two persons or more, including teacher/accompanists. No theory is required for teachers. Any ensemble which includes a student of a non-member must be coached and entered by a PMTA member.

Theory Test

  • Theory score to perform at the state event must be 85% or higher.
  • Any student who has passed level 8A and 8B is exempt from taking the test.
  • Students need not progress to a new level every year.
  • Ensemble students also performing as soloists will take only one test.
  • Ensemble students performing as an ensemble only must take a test, at the of the least experienced member of the group.
  • Test re-takes are not permitted.
  • Students are not permitted to see or take the test before the designated test date.

Registration & Deadlines

Online Registration for State Showcase Recitals begins September 23, 2012 and closes October 3, 2012. Teachers entering students for State Showcase Recitals must register online (no emails or mail-in forms accepted) by the state deadline.

Fees & Payments

Local

  • Check with your Local Festival Chair for the student entry fee for your Local Preliminary Audition.
  • Each Local Association must submit a $3.00 fee per student to PMTA to support PMTA events and the Dorothy Sutton Fund of the MTNA Foundation.

State

  • Fees are $13.00 per solo student, $20.00 per ensemble.
  • Fees may be paid online using PAYPAL, or by mailing a check to the State Chair. If paying by check, the teacher should mail one check payable to PMTA-DSPF. Payment envelope must be postmarked no later than October 3, 2012. Checks received after the postmark date will not be accepted.
  • Any member of an ensemble who is not a student of a PMTA member must pay an additional $10 per non-member student.
  • Teachers participating in the State event must attend and volunteer. If the teacher cannot attend, there is a $30.00 substitution fee which should be included with the registration fees. Parents may not be substitutes.

All student entry fees for the DSPF are non-refundable!

Certificate Reissues: If the request for a reissued certificate is due to the requesting teacher’s error, there is a $5 per certificate charge payable in advance. If an error was made by PMTA the certificate will be reissued at no cost.

State Showcase Recital Schedule

The state recital schedule will be emailed to participating teachers and posted on this website within ten (10) days of the close of registration.

Contact Information

Direct all questions regarding Local Preliminary Auditions to your Local Association DSPF Chair. Parent should not contact the State Chair. All participating teachers must have an email address to enroll students, as all communications will be done via email. All performance information will be sent by email and posted on website.

PMTA State Festival Chair
Theresa Smith
814-238-5964
ssmith2124@aol.com

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