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)

2023 Composition Festival State Recital

Honored Composers:

  • Josie McCullough, age 8, student of Heidi Evans, Fairies’ Game of Tag (piano solo)
  • Ricky Lee, age 9, student of Gary Noland, Rain and Then Sun (piano solo)
  • Isaac Pendergrass III, age 10, student of Ruth Sadilek, The Realm House (ensemble)
  • Eli Greenshields, age 11, student of Sandra Coolen, The Adventures of Flappy Bird (piano solo)
  • Emma Beltran (Sophia Matthews), age 11, student of Phyllis Peterson, Sleeping Tiger (piano solo)
  • Shea Noll, age 11, student of Jessica Carnevale, Shea’s Imagination (piano solo)
  • Adeline Friberg, age 12, student of Tanya Stojamarie, A Mixolydian Summer (piano solo)
  • Emmeline Covert, age 13, student of Phyllis Peterson, Mountain Jaunt (piano solo)
  • Ryan Lengkeek, age 13, student of Amie Belisle, Starlight (piano solo)
  • Melanie Kitchen, age 13, student of Sarah Milburn, Breeze in the Valley (piano solo)
  • Uriah Legutki, age 14, student of Charlotte Pierce, Days Gone By (piano solo)
  • A’shariá Pendergrass, age 14, student of Ruth Sadilek, Half Truths Part I, II, III (ensemble)
  • Zoey Griffith, age 15, student of Sarah Milburn, Raining in the Olive Grove (piano solo)
  • James Lee, age 15, student of Jennifer Wright, Telltale (piano solo)
  • Corinna Lobscheid, age 15, student of Rosanne Smith, Andromeda (piano solo)
  • Lex Kornelis, age 16, student of Nancy Stone, Carnival (ensemble)
  • Adelai Jeffrey, age 16, student of Dianne Davies, Revelation (ensemble)
  • Adrian Valenzuela, age 16, student of Ruth Sadilek, An Evening After School (ensemble)
  • George R. Miller, age 17, student of Michael Allen Harrison, Symphonic Sketch no. 1 (symphony)
  • Charles Martin, age 17, student of Kristy Moore, The Gladiator (piano duet)
  • Sarah Craner, age 18, student of Heidi Evans, Mind Palace (piano solo)