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128th MMTA State Conference
Sunday, October 13 - Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites
100 West Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
269-343-3333
www.radissonkz.com
Dear MMTA Members,
As our schedules are slowing down, preparations for the 128th MMTA Conference are in full swing. The conference opens on Sunday, October 13 at 1:00 p.m. (on-site registration begins at noon), and continues through noon on Tuesday, October 15 at the beautiful Kalamazoo Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites.
Alpin Hong is this year’s Conference Artist. Alpin is an energetic, motivating, and inspiring pianist whose mission is to attract and motivate more young people to classical music study.
Other clinicians are Nancy Bachus of Clavier Companion, Dr. David Abbott of Albion and Professor Christopher Harding of the University of Michigan will be leading a master class.
I always look forward to hearing the MMTA and MTNA student winners, and the MMTA-commissioned composition in concerts during the three day conference.
More State Conference information will be added to this website when available. Check the latest edition of the MMT, which was sent by U.S. Mail to each member for more information.
Of course the more members that attend the conference, the better it will be. Catching up with friends across the state, meeting new members, sharing ideas and strategies in our daily teaching of students of all ages, also makes the conference a meaningful, and must do event. So mark your calendars now and I’ll see you in Kalamazoo!
Sincerely,
Gail Lytle Lira, MMTA Vice President
Conference deadline dates:
August 1: Deadline for conference schedule material for the program booklet. This includes presenters, titles, descriptions, performers’ bios, photos, and program information.
August 15: Deadline for all advertisers and exhibitors.
August 15: Deadline for all other entries in the conference program booklet. This includes welcome letters, Teachers of the Year, Distinguished Service Award, and the list of conference volunteers.
September 13: Deadline to register for a room at the Radisson Plaza & Suites and receive the MMTA conference rate.
September 13: Conference preregistration deadline – both mail and online. This is also the last date to withdraw from the conference and receive a registration refund.
Presenters’ Bios 2013
Alpin Hong is a native of Michigan and made his orchestral debut with the Kalamazoo Symphony at the age of ten. He moved to Los Angeles soon after and garnered competition victories with wins at the 1989 Stravinsky Piano Competition, the 1993 SYMF Competition and the 1994 Los Angeles Spotlight Awards Competition. His teachers include Mark Richman and Emilio del Rosario. He completed his Master’s degree as a student of Jerome Lowenthal at The Juilliard School.
Mr. Hong’s uniquely humorous and visionary approach to arts education has resulted in artistic residencies worldwide. His tireless pursuit to find, inspire, and collaborate with talents in every community results in unforgettable presentations that both expand worlds and hit close to home.
A teacher, recitalist, and music historian, Nancy Bachus has been a featured clinician at numerous piano teacher organizations and music conventions. Nancy is Associate Editor for Repertoire and Performance for Clavier Companion magazine. In 1990 she co-authored The Technic Companion, a book for beginning pianists. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed The Baroque Spirit, The Classical Spirit, The Romantic Spirit, and Beyond the Romantic Spirit piano anthologies that include historical information and art images from each stylistic period. Nancy’s most recent series, Exploring Piano Classics, pairs motivating performance repertoire with thoughtful technical studies.
Professor Christopher Harding has presented master classes and lecture recitals in universities across the United States and Asia, as well as in Israel and Canada.
In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate piano performance and chamber music at the University of Michigan, Mr. Harding also serves on the faculty of the Indiana University Summer Piano Academy. His collegiate studies were with Menahem Pressler and Nelita True.
Dr. David Abbott has been Professor of Piano at Albion College since 2005. Previously he lived for ten years in Switzerland where he was frequently heard both as soloist and collaborative artist through Switzerland, Germany and on tours in Australia.
Dr. Abbott has dedicated a great deal of his career as mentor and teacher, serving on the faculties of the Zürich and Schaffausen Conservatories of Music (Switzerland), and earlier at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A graduate of the Eastman and Juilliard Schools of Music, Dr. Abbott remains active in historically informed performance practice as a result of work with renowned fortepianist Malcolm Bilson.
More Information
Online registration will be available before the end of June.