State Honors Recital

2018 Honors Recital News

A few words before the guidelines:

• Please email questions to Christopher Oill at christopher.j.oill@gmail.com  or Tanya Eldridge at tanyaeldridge@cox.net   Many questions can be answered by reading the guidelines.
• Changes have been made regarding repertoire, deadlines, and other matters. It is your responsibility to read all guidelines thoroughly.
• The entry deadlines have been adjusted earlier, to allow ample time for judging and a two-week notification of preliminary results prior to the finals.
• Fill out all information requested on the entry forms, including repertoire and teacher contact details.

General Honors Recital Information

Committee Co-Chairs:  Christopher Oill and Tanya Eldridge

The purpose of the Arizona State Music Teachers Association’s James R. Anthony Honors Recital is to promote the development of musicianship, technique, and performance to the highest level possible. A two-tiered auditions process is used to select some of the most outstanding students in the state to perform during the state conference.

Procedural Guidelines

1. The Honors Recital and auditions are open to pre-college instrumentalists, vocalists and chamber music ensembles of six performers or fewer, using no more than one piano. Participants must currently study with an ASMTA member.
2. Teachers should take time to review all of the current Guidelines, and go over these Guidelines with the participating students and their parents. Some guidelines have changed significantly this year.
3. Final Auditions, and the Honors Recital itself, are open to the public.
4. The preliminary auditions will be held via video recordings. These must be:
   • posted to YouTube by 11:59 pm on Saturday, May 5, 2018, and
   • the link(s) to your video(s) must be emailed to Aemilia Teguh (teguhae@hotmail.com) also by Saturday, May 5, 2018 at 11:59 pm.

   The YouTube videos must be public, so that anyone may view them. Your YouTube videos must remain posted and available until June 2, 2018.

5. The final auditions will be on Saturday, June 2, 2018 beginning at 9:00 am at the ASMTA Conference location:  DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley-Scottsdale, 5401 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250. The Winners’ Recital will be at 4:30 pm on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley-Scottsdale, 5401 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250.
6. Applications may be submitted online on the ASMTA website beginning March 15, 2018 and no later than 11:59 pm on Saturday, May 5, 2018. The application should include the complete and accurate names of the two works to be performed, including full names of composers, opus numbers and movement designations for each composition, in proper program format, as well as accurate timings of each piece to be performed.
7. Single panels of adjudicators for the Preliminary Auditions will view the recorded performances within each division, offer written comments on each performance, and determine (by a confidential, simple majority vote) which performers will be invited to participate in the Final Auditions. There are neither quotas, nor minimum nor maximum numbers that adjudicators are required to invite to participate in the Final Auditions.
8. Results of the Preliminary Auditions will be announced via email and the written comment sheets mailed to the teachers of participating students on the next business day following the completion of the audition process. Under review is the possibility that the judges may submit their comments via electronic means. In this case, comments will be emailed to the appropriate teachers.
9. All students will perform two pieces of contrasting style, period, and tempo, composed by two different composers within the time limits listed below. All pieces will be performed from memory except in the case of chamber music groups. Instruments other than piano may perform individual movements from concerti. Vocalists will sing both selections in their original language and the two selections should be in different languages. No repertoire changes are permitted.
10. One copy of the score for each piece of music to be performed must be presented to the monitors for the Final Auditions. Scores must have the measures numbered to facilitate adjudicators’ comments, but any names of teachers, students, etc. should be hidden. The monitors will check the scores, attach the student’s Entrant Number, and relay the scores to and from the adjudicators. All entrants must abide by the federal Copyright Law. Photocopies are strongly discouraged. Entrants using photocopies or PDFs downloaded from the Internet may be asked to complete the Music Release Form verifying that they have permission to use this music.CD sheet music is acceptable, but should be accompanied by the “Festival Letter” from the CD. Downloads from IMSLP should be accompanied by details about the origin of the score. Miniature scores are not acceptable.
11. There will be more than one panel of adjudicators for the Final Auditions so that different divisions can audition simultaneously. The Final Auditions will begin Saturday morning, June 2, 2018 at 9:00 am at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley-Scottsdale, 5401 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250. Audition times and locations will be emailed to participants’ teachers by May 22, 2018.
12. Adjudicators for the Final Auditions will designate the honor given to each performer. There are neither quotas, nor minimum nor maximum numbers that adjudicators are required to invite to perform. These designations are: Participant, Honorable Mention, Medalist, or Medalist with Distinction. The adjudicators will also select the piece to be performed by each Medalist or Medalist with Distinction. The decisions of the adjudicators are final and may not be challenged.
13. Each Medalist and Medalist with Distinction will perform one of their pieces in the Winners’ Recital Saturday afternoon, 4:30 pm, June 2, 2018 during the ASMTA conference at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley-Scottsdale, 5401 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250.  Any Medalists unable to fulfill this performance obligation, or performing a work other than that chosen by the adjudicators, will be re-designated Honorable Mention.
14. To be invited to perform in the Honors Recital, Medalists need to use standard recital etiquette and demonstrate musical mastery as well as secure technique, rhythm and memory. This includes appropriate and tasteful dress for the recital performance. Appropriate dress for the recital auditions and performances shall include:

    Girls:

    • Dress, blouse and skirt, or blouse and slacks, and dress shoes. All clothing should be elegant and formal.
    • No tank tops, mini-skirts, backless or low-cut tops or flip-flop shoes. Long sleeves must not cover the hands while performing.
    • Skirts and dress edges must cover the knees while sitting.
    • Platform shoes are not permitted.
    • Shoes with heels should have a heel less than 1 1/2 inches in height.

    Boys:

    • Dress shirt, slacks, and shoes.
    • Shirts should have collars, and sleeve length is left to the discretion of the performer (long sleeves must not cover the hands while performing).
    • Ties, bow ties, and/or suits are encouraged but not required.
    • Pants must be dress slacks (no shorts please).

    Both:

    • No athletic shoes or flip-flops are permitted.
    • Care should be taken to wear hair in a manner that will keep it out of the performer’s eyes and face.
    • Absolutely no denim.
15. Teachers, students and parents should take care NOT to engage in conversation with the judges at any time during the audition process. To reiterate: ALL DECISIONS OF THE ADJUDICATORS ARE FINAL AND MAY NOT BE CHALLENGED. Teachers who disregard this guideline risk having ALL their auditioning students designated as Participants only.
16. Teachers must have paid their MTNA dues for the current year prior to the Honors Recital application date and may only enter students who have been studying with them for at least six (6) consecutive months prior to the preliminary auditions.
17. Teachers must be prepared to offer assistance during the final auditions day. An Honors Recital committee member will contact teachers regarding their volunteer times and duties.
18. Two JAMES SAVERIO RUCCOLO PIANO AWARDS will be eligible for students ages 12, 13, 14, 15 years old  (one award for Intermediate 1 division and one award for Intermediate 2 division) who the judges select based on the final round performance and meet specific criteria for this award. This award is offered in memory of Dr. JS Ruccolo, a pianist/composer and a Professor Emeritus of Arizona State University.  Dr. Ruccolo was also an active contributor to the Arizona State Music Teachers Association, Piano Division between 1975-1985.
19. All application fees must be paid either online at the ASMTA web site or by check postmarked by May 5, 2018 and sent to the Honors Recital Chair, AEMILIA TEGUH, 2505 E. Williams Field Rd, Apt. 2085, Gilbert, AZ 85295. Each teacher should send a single check (or pay online by credit card at the time of application(s)) covering the total application fees for all of their participating students. Checks will not be accepted from students or parents!
20. Videos must be unedited. Any anomalies whatsoever in a video or its audio portion will result in the immediate disqualification of that entrant, at whatever juncture the issue is discovered.

Divisions, Time Limits, and Application Fees

BOTH PIECES MUST BE PERFORMED IN THEIR ENTIRETY WITHIN THE TIME LIMITS.

Information Regarding Pieces

• Time Limits: Both pieces will be performed within the time limit listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
• Cuts: Any performances containing cuts will be disqualified. Exceptions to this will be in the orchestral reductions to concerto or operatic selections as long as the solo part is complete.
• Repeats: Repeats are optional.
• Variations: The entire set of variations will be performed (no cuts)
• Sonatas/Sonatinas: One movement will be considered one piece.
• Prelude & Fugue: For performers in the Primary, Elementary, and Intermediate categories, a prelude OR a fugue can be performed as one piece. For performers in the Advanced category, a prelude AND fugue must be performed as one piece.
• Collections (i.e. character pieces, works with many different pieces put together as one): Selections from one collection or opus number by one composer (ie. Shostakovich Preludes, Op. 34; or Chopin Mazurkas, Op. 7) may be grouped at will. The total time of this grouping may not exceed the performance time of the other work submitted.

Repertoire will be checked against these guidelines prior to the preliminary auditions. Please review item #7 of the Honors Recital Guidelines (above). Any issues regarding repertoire will be relayed to the teacher as soon as possible after the matter is discovered.

Performers who choose to disregard the repertoire guidelines will be disqualified.

For More Information

Further questions regarding repertoire should be directed to the Honors Recital Chair, Aemilia Teguh, at teguhae@hotmail.com.