Composition Festival

male songwriter writing song on blank music sheet

The State Composition Festival is a non-competitive event that provides young composers the opportunity to share their creative accomplishments from beginners to post college age on up. There is no age limit for participants. The Composition Festival is open to any student composer studying with a teacher who is an active member in good standing with OMTA or a non-member who has paid the nonmember fee for the event. Compositions of all musical styles and instrumentation are welcome!

There are two separate requirements for students to participate in the State Festival. Students only need to do one of them:

  1. Students participate at the district level event. At the district level, compositions are adjudicated and the adjudicators recognize students with the most outstanding compositions as Honored Composers. These Honored Composers are invited to participate in the OMTA State Composition Festival.
  2. Students participate in the Young Composers Project (YCP) sponsored by the non-profit organization Fear No Music, directed by Jeff Payne. These students can participate in the State Festival without entering a district event.

For information about your district Composition Festival, contact your district chairperson or check district websites at https://oregonmta.org/about/leadership/district-presidents/.

Deadlines

  • May 1 — District Composition Festival Report and District Honored Composers List
  • May 5 — Application form, $15 entry fee, PDF Scores and Honored Composers Book orders to: State Composition Chair Dianne Davies, 6995 SW Larkspur Place, Beaverton, OR 97008.
  • May 5 — Performance YouTube links “unlisted” to Caris Power at office@oregonmta.org
  • June 1 — Virtual Recital of recorded performances up on the OMTA state website.

Composition Booklets are available with all the participants scores for $15-20 each.

There is also a national student composition competition sponsored by the Music Teachers National Association.

Questions? Contact Dianne Davies.

District Forms

Forms are in PDF format – readable with the free Adobe Reader.

District Composition Festival Chairperson Checklist
Adjudicator Instructions
Composer Evaluation Form
*District Honored Composers List  (District Chair return to Dianne Davies by May 1)

State Forms

Student Application (Fill out and send to Dianne Davies by May 5)
District Composition Festival Report (District Chair return to Dianne Davies by May 1)

2024 Composition Festival State Recital

Honored Composers:

  • Ariel Kaufman, age 6, student of Craig Hanson, Flying Rain (piano duet)
  • Annabella Liddell, age 7, student of Dianne Davies, Problem No. 2 (piano solo)
  • Heidi Zumwalt, age 8, student of Phyllis Peterson, Dancing In The Forest (piano solo)
  • Amelia Zumwalt, age 10, student of Phyllis Peterson, A Rainy Day (piano solo)
  • Asher Enkey, age 10, student of Sarah Milburn, Feeling Good (piano solo)
  • Michael Henderson, age 10, student of Robin Ziari, Sunrise on the Horizon (piano solo)
  • Leif de Szoeke, age 11, student of Sande Reitmeier-Coolen, Laser Beam (piano/vocal solo)
  • Ryan Zawilski, age 12, student of Mary Betsy Parker, Autumal Etude (piano solo)
  • Miles Davis, age 12, student of Sarah Milburn, Evolution (piano solo)
  • Liam Walterscheid, age 12, student of Melody Morrison, Seasons (piano solo)
  • Adeline Friberg, age 13, student of Tanya Stojanovic, Horizon’s Call (piano solo)
  • Iliana Yeo, age 13, student of Dianne Davies, Life’s Vicissitudes (piano solo)
  • Emily Hickey, age 15, student of Sarah Milburn, Forest Life (piano solo)
  • Zoey Griffith, age 16, student of Sarah Milburn, Raining in Spring (piano solo)
  • James Lee, age 16, student of Jennifer Wright, Timeout (ensemble)
  • Adelynn Williams, age 16, student of Dianne Davies, If I Could Fly (piano solo)
  • Maxwell Evans-McGlothin, age 16, student of Dr. Ryan Francis, The Tale of the Fools of the Forgotten Forest (ensemble)
  • Corinna Lobscheid, age 16, student of Sande Reitmeier-Coolen, California (piano solo)
  • Amaia Arismendi, age 16, student of Lucy Watts, Desert Rain (piano solo)
  • Lex Kornelis, age 17, student of Nancy Stone & Ryan Francis, Pyroclastica (ensemble)
  • Adrian Valenzuela, age 17, student of Ruth Sadilek, Bittersweet Sunset  (ensemble)
  • Noah Larson, age 17, student of Jessica Treon, Clouds (piano solo)