2006-2007 MTNA National Student Competition winners

American Music Teacher, June-July, 2007

STUDENT COMPOSITION COMPETITIONS

Elementary Composition Sponsored by Morty and Iris Manus

Winner: Eleanor Bragg, Eastern Division (Massachusetts); Alla Cohen, teacher

Eleanor Bragg, age 10, has been studying composition at the New England Conservatory of Music with Alla Elana Cohen since age 7. In 2005-2006 her composition for cello and piano Animals of the Earth was awarded second place in the National Finals of the MTNA elementary category. In 2006 Eleanor was a winner of an ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award. She also studies cello with Barbara Paschke and plays cello in the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Second Place: Edison Tsai, Northwest Division (Oregon); Gary Noland, teacher

Third Place: Henry Tiger Wang, West Central Division (Minnesota); Dorothy Sandquist, teacher

Junior Composition Sponsored by Morty and Iris Manus

Winner: Mitchell Breeling, West Central Division (Nebraska); Regina Carnazzo, teacher

Mitchell Breeling is an eighth-grade student at Beadle Middle School in Omaha, Nebraska. He began studying piano with Gall Dunning at age 8. During this study, he participated in the Nebraska Music Teachers Association 2002 District Auditions and received a Superior rating. Mitchell began studying composition with Regina Carnazzo in 2002. He won the MTNA Composition contests for the state of Nebraska in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006. He won the MTNA West Central Division Composition Contest in 2003.

Second Place: Benjamin Brosche, Southern Division (Virginia); Nathalie Steinbach, teacher

Third Place: Frances Lin, East Central Division (Ohio); Amy Laurence, teacher

Senior Composition Sponsored by the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND

Winner: Parker Ramsay, Southern Division (Tennessee); Carol McClure, teacher

Parker Ramsay, DipABRSM, 15, Burns, Tennessee, four-time MTNA Composition Competitions finalist and 2006 Junior First-Place Winner, studies composition and harp with Carol McClure, theory with Wes Ramsay and organ with Wilma Jensen. Currently composer-in-residence for Vanderbilt University's Children's Choirs, principal harpist, Nashville and Louisville Youth Orchestras, and continuo performer, Belle Meade Baroque, Parker's 2006-2007 awards include ABRSM Diplomas with Distinction in Harp and Organ, Oundle for Organists Recital Prizes, and King's School Ely Organ Scholar, Ely Cathedral.

Second Place: Stephen Feigenbaum, Eastern Division (Massachusetts); Rodney Lister, teacher

Third Place: Eileen Kwee, South Central Division (Texas); Eliot Theodore Schechter, teacher

Young Artist Composition Sponsored by the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND

Winner: Brian Buch, East Central Division (Indiana); Alla Cohen, teacher

Brian Buch is a senior composition major at the Indiana University School of Music. He has studied composition with Don Freund, P.Q. Phan, and Sven-David Sandstrom at Indiana University, Nancy de Van Vate in Vienna, and Alla Elana Cohen at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He has been awarded second place in the national level of the 2005 and 2006 MTNA Young Artist Composition Competitions and honorable mention in the 2005 and 2006 Robert Helps International Composition Competitions.

Second Place: Katie Andres, West Central Division (Missouri); Marcia Spence, teacher

Third Place: Daniel Gledhill, Southwest Division (Utah); Irene Peery-Fox, teacher

MTNA JUNIOR PERFORMANCE COMPETITIONS

MTNA Junior Brass Competition Sponsored by the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND

Winner: David Westervelt, Southern Division (North Carolina); John Sizemore, teacher

David Westervelt is a student at Mauldin Middle School near Greenville, South Carolina. David is beginning his third year of tuba studies with John Sizemore. He performs with the Repertory Orchestra of the Carolina Youth Symphony conducted by James F. Kilgus and Les Hicken, Director of Bands at Furman University. David was named to both the Greenville All-County and the South Carolina All-State Bands in 2006 and again in 2007.

Second Place: Roderick Littleton, South Central Division (Texas); Wilford Glenn, teacher

Third Place: Joshua Altman, Southern Division (North Carolina); Timothy Altman, teacher

MTNA Junior Piano Competition Sponsored by Baldwin Piano, Inc.

Winner: Anna Han, Southwest Division (Arizona); Fei Xu, teacher

Anna Han, age 11, is a sixth-grade student in a gifted program at Santan Elementary School in Chandler, Arizona. She started her piano lessons with Fei Xu at age 5 and has been the first-place winner of a number of competitions, including the State Honor Recital, 2006 Arizona Youth Piano Competition and winner of the "Winners' Showcase" and junior concerto of the 2007 Arizona Young Artist Piano Competition. Besides music, Anna enjoys reading, dance and outdoor activities.

Second Place: Chelsea Wang, West Central Division (Iowa); Chiu-Ling Lin and Ksenia Nosikova, teachers

Third Place: Christine Chew, Eastern Division (Maryland); Nancy Breth, teacher

MTNA Junior String Competition Sponsored by Yamaha Corporation of America--Orchestral String Department

Winner: Oliver Aldort, Northwest Division (Washington); Amos Yang, teacher