The Brookings Music Teachers Association hosted their annual Piano Festival March 20-23 at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.

The festival kicked off on Thursday evening with an impressive recital, by guest adjudicator Michael Seregow of Ball State University, which featured piano works composed around the turn of the 20th Century by Ravel, Fauré, Debussy, Scriabin, Bartók, and Beach. In the days following, 103 primary and secondary-school-aged students and 12 college students performed their piano repertoire for adjudication in a total of 159 performance entries.

New to the BMTA Piano Festival is a day of adjudicated performances by college students and advanced-level high school students which took place on Friday, March 21. Benefiting from the collegiate day’s masterclass format, coached by Seregow, were college students Elijas Clark, Megan Sandison, Thomas Tiegs, Kimberly Smith, John Pfeifer, Wyatt Kruger, Max Donelan, Kenzie Carlson, Ryan Prohofsky, Jenna Soine, Jacob Bruns, and Courtney Loeffler.

Adjudicating for the event were Mark Stevens, from Brookings, Danae Nelson from Southwest Minnesota State University and Michael Seregow of Ball State University.

Students performing in the Solo Event include Aly Bachar, Jacquie Bachar, Brodie Bahe, Jonah Bauer, Jack Bierman, Owen Bierman, Niko Bietz, Stella Books, Reagan Brintnall, Sabastian Bui, Taponidhi Cherukuri, Elsa Clements-Johnson, Sylvia Clements-Johnson, Bronson Coetzee, John Collins, Koyer Deutch, Liam Diercks, Rachel Eberhart, Elizabeth Ehrichs, Gabriel Ehrichs, Grace Ehrichs, Hannah Ehrichs, Carson Eichler, Nolan Eichler, Lydia Ellsworth, Harper Foote, Brynn Froiland, Graham Gerlach, Nolan Gross, Jackson Hahn, Sydney Hahn, Evy Hamilton, Gabriel Hankel, Arlo Hardy, Kira Hardy, Otto Haselhorst, Kevin Huang, Makenzi Hawks, Gavin Heerman, Samantha Heerman, Lily Jeratowski, Oscar Jeratowski, Trestin Johnson, Grace Klein, Cora Kleinjan, Amelia Koenig, Lane Koenig, Will Kvamme, Davina Lafomo, Adrian Lansang, Alexander Liu, Louis Liu, Frida Markel, Xochi Markel, Munro McKnickle, Landry Melius, Reid Melius, Autumn Merchant, Taiya Merchant, Arianna Meyer, Brynnlee Meyer, Celeste Meyer, Catie Michna, Joseph Michna, Matthew Michna, Norah Miller, Alaina Mulder, Andrea Odia, Camden Olson, Emma Olson, Alaina Overby, Alexandra Prager, Lincoln Quam, Josie Ryland, Kallie Ryland, David Schmit, Wylie Scofield, Brielle Smetana, Obed Sobolayi, Sydney Stevens, Jack Thompson, Elise Ulvestad, Grayson Wagner, Carlina Wang, Walter Weight, Alayiyah Wendinger, Annaliese Wenthe, Denley Willert, Lauren Wulf, Annika Wurm, Audrey Wurm, and Isaac Wurm.

Students performing in the Hymn Playing Event include Jonah Bauer, Sabastian Bui, Taponidhi Cherukuri, Rachel Eberhart, Carson Eichler, Nolan Eichler, Lydia Ellsworth, Sydney Hahn, Gabriel Hankel, Ian Hansen, Wesley Hanson-McComb, Makenzi Hawks, Kjersten Johnson, Davina Lafomo, Xochi Markel, Katie Marshall, Autumn Merchant, Taiya Merchant, Avalyn Meyer, Laura Murphy, Sean O’Brien, Andrea Odia, Camden Olson, Emma Olson, Alaina Overby, John Pankonin, Kallie Ryland, Obed Sobolayi, Taya Twedt, Elise Ulvestad, Alayiyah Wendinger, Annika Wurm, Audrey Wurm, Isaac Wurm, and Micah Wurm.

Students participating in the Ensemble Event include Aly Bachar, Jacquie Bachar, Reagan Brintnall, Taponidhi Cherukuri, Liam Diercks, Lydia Ellsworth, Jackson Hahn, Sydney Hahn, Evian Johnson, Trestin Johnson, Davina Lafomo, Frida Markel, Xochi Markel, Andrea Odia, Alain Overby, Alexandra Prager, Wylie Scofield, Obed Sobolayi, Elise Ulsestad, and Lauren Wulf.

Twenty-three students were awarded trophies for three years of participation. Six students took home six-year trophies and two students, Joseph Michna and Samantha Heerman, were awarded trophies for nine years of participation.

Participating teachers included Diana Christiansen, Florence Evans (Flandreau), Bethany Foote, Cynthia Jorgensen (Lake Benton, Minnesota), Deb Kalsbeck, Xuan Kang, Tammy Knudtson, Mark Stevens, Laura Rice, Joan Riessen, Nancy Sandro (Hendricks, Minnesota), and Melanie Timmerman. Piano teachers in the Brookings area interested in belonging to BMTA are invited to contact Timmerman at 605-690-7886 for more information.