Second Annual Duettists Competition

The Keyboard Area of the Music Department at Ohio Northern University in Ada, OH, recently hosted the Second Annual Ohio Music Teachers Association/MTNA Midwest Piano Duettists competition. The competition for grades K-12 was held on Saturday, October 27, 2012 in Snyder Recital Hall, Presser Hall. OMTA teachers participating in the competition were Annette Hoverman, Mary Lou Anthony, Kristen Topham, Paula Deardurff, Eileen Weber, Shirley McPherson and Kathleen Jendrusik, founder of the competition. A tremendous growth experience for student duettists from Bellefontaine to Van Wert, the competition featured a "classical" morning with piano duets/arrangements of music from composers such as Vivaldi, Sousa, Grieg, Mozart, Diabelli, Rollin, Vandall, and Bober. Subsequently, the same duet teams competed in a "Creative" afternoon, where they participated for a second time in costume! It was truly exciting to see and hear such duet standards as Schubert's "March Militaire" performed in camoflage by high school students, and a Tarantella acted out by grade school students dressed as spiders! 

 

Judging the competition were Dr. Rebecca Casey, Associate Professor of Music at ONU, and Mr. Tony Wan, Senior Piano Performance major at ONU. 

 

First place winners in the Elementary Category No. 1 were Isaac and Eleanor Pimental, students of Kristen Topham; first place winners in the Elementary Category No. 2 were Emily and John Sreenan, students of Mary Lou Anthony. 

 

First place winners in the Junior Category No. 1 were Marshall Verbsky and Peyton Neeld, students of Paula Deardurff; 

 

 

First place winners in the Senior Category No. 1 were Katie Vetorino and Shantelle Binfet, students of Paula Deardurff; first place winners in the Senior Category No. 2 were Logan McPherson and Brianna Fry, students of Shirley McPherson; and first place winners in the Senior Category No. 3 were Gabe Berning and Caroline Prakel, students of Kathy Jendrusik.

 

First place creative awards went to Elizabeth Snyder and Carissa Miglin, students of Annette Hoverman.

 

Thank you to OMTA and all the parents, teachers and students who worked so diligently to put this competition together! We hope it continues to grow. Next year's competition is scheduled in Presser Hall, Snyder Recital Hall, on October 26, 2013.