WMTA JUNIOR/SENIOR
PERFORMANCE COMPETITION

Interested in furthering your musical progress? The MTNA Junior and Senior Performance Competitions may expose you to the kind of experiences you are seeking. Who are the Competitions for? Any young musician who seeks to have an opportunity to be receive comments on their performance from at least one judge and who wants not only to compete against other musicians but have the opportunity to hear some of the best young talents in their age bracket in the state!

The national program of auditions for all orchestral instruments, piano, organ, voice, guitar, and chamber music begins at the state level. Students may also enter an original composition. Students in most grade levels and collegians have the opportunity to compete for the generous cash prizes offered at the national level. All rules are detailed on the MTNA website.

Because the Wisconsin level competition occurs during the fall, this provides extra motivation, similar to participating in WMTA and WSMA District Auditions in the Spring. These competitions will give a student extra incentive because all repertoire has to be memorized. Some past winners of State Performance Competitions have not only advanced to the Divisional Round, but will compete for prizes at the National Level as well. For students considering music as a major in college, these competitions can be an excellent barometer for recognizing their future success in music.

Who's eligible? Any student who currently studies with a member of the Music Teachers National Association and the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association is automatically eligible. Application Fees for MTNA/WMTA members and non-members are listed in the April/May issue of the American Music Teacher, a journal for music teachers and musicians. The student or teacher must currently be enrolled in school or college of the state where he/she will be performing. For all other specific requirements and rules, see the April/May issue of the American Music Teacher, or visit MTNA's web site at http://www.mtna.org

The MTNA Junior and Senior Performance Competition (Wisconsin competition) is the first of three competitive rounds leading to the Music Teachers National Association National Performance Competitions held annually at the MTNA National Conference. Students compete at the Junior level (7-9), Senior (10-12) and Young Artist (enrolled in college or younger than 26 years old), and primarily compete in the following categories: piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, voice.

The State MTNA Performance Competitions are held in conjunction in the fall.  All competitions will take place on Friday. Wisconsin winners will perform in a winners recital at the WMTA state conference.  Winners and alternates are usually declared in each instrumental or voice category which has participants. The winners (or if they cannot go, the alternates) will go on to compete in the East Central Divisional Performance Competitions, which will include representative winners from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Additionally, WMTA  provides generous travel grants to Wisconsin MTNA competition winners to offset some of their expenses incurred in attending both the division and national competition.  For more information and a complete list of rules and to apply, please visit the MTNA website http://www.mtna.org