Linda Witchie Named 2021 IMTA Teacher of the Year
Linda Larson Witchie, NCTM, with a degree in Piano Performance from the University of Colorado – Boulder and a Masters in Piano Performance from University of Michigan, was President of the South Bend Area Music Teachers Association from 1997-1999 and again in 2016-2018. In 1999, she was honored as “Member of the Year” by SBAMTA.
Throughout her involvement with SBAMTA, Linda has served in various capacities including President, Vice-President, Program Chair, and Treasurer, and most recently as Community Engagement Coordinator to bring music education to the forefront in the greater Michiana area. She created a link with the South Bend Symphony wherein Stickley Piano Competition Winners play in the lobby before concerts, obtained vouchers giving free symphony admission to local students, created a presence at the local Art Beat Festival, and an information booth at the Halloween festivities at the local Zoo. As a program director and advisor, she has brought in multiple grants allowing us to bring in well-known presenters and clinicians such as Randy Faber, Melody Bober, Catherine Rollin, Jane McGrath, Robert Vandall and Marvin Blickenstaff.
Linda was an Adjunct faculty member at IUSB and adjunct lecturer of music at St. Mary’s College and has been instrumental in numerous festivals and recitals. She has been a member of Indiana Music Teachers Association for more than 30 years and served as State Composition Chair of that organization for two years. Linda is a nationally certified member of Music Teachers National Association, earning her “Permanent Professional” status in October of 2007. She was also a faculty member of the National Guild of Piano Teachers. Linda piloted new piano teaching materials for Faber & Faber of F.J.H. Publishing for more than twenty years. She also served as both Consulting Editor and New Publication Evaluator for F.J.H. Publishing from 1992-2003. She has spent the last 25 years either chairing or on the committee for the annual Stickley Piano Competition and has been very active with the Stickley Scholarship Fund since its establishment 28 years ago.
Modest and unassuming, Linda has a private studio that has consistently produced winners and honorable mentions at the annual Stickley Piano Competition every year for the past 20 years! Linda provides a steadying voice of reason, is always quick with helpful information, and is even quicker with a thank you. It is a marvel to see so much energy expended for music education across multiple decades while raising a family of her own. Her colleagues at SBAMTA find it a real pleasure to serve with Linda Witchie in the profession of music teaching.
Cheryl Everett Awarded 2021 IMTA Distinguished Service Award
In addition to teaching piano and organ at Wabash College, Cheryl Everett is accompanist for the Glee Club and the Music Department. With the Glee Club, she has concertized throughout the United States, England, Scotland, Wales, Ecuador, and Taiwan.
Ms. Everett has performed as soloist and chamber musician in recitals and master classes at International Workshops in Austria, Canada, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the Teachers’ Program of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Music Teachers National Association has recognized Ms. Everett as a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music and the Indiana Music Teachers Association honored her as one of their “Teachers of the Year”. For many years she was IMTA Ensemble Concert Chair and State Convention Chair.
In 2021, Ms. Everett received the Distinguished Service Award from the Indiana Music Teachers Association to recognize her outstanding service to IMTA and the profession of music teaching. Many of her former students currently have careers as piano teachers and music therapists.
In addition to collegiate responsibilities, Ms. Everett is Director of the Young Hoosier State Piano Competition for piano students ages 5-22. This competition, sponsored by the Indiana State Fair and Piano Solutions, had over 500 student participants in 2019. Piano Solutions recently named their concert hall “The Cheryl Everett Performance Room” in honor of her work with the youth of Indiana.
Ms. Everett has been a church organist for over 50 years and is currently serving at First United Methodist Church in Crawfordsville, IN. Ms. Everett studied piano performance with Dr. Louis Nagel at the University of Michigan. Her major musical influence was Dorothy Munger, a student of Guy Maier, Rosina Lhevinne, and Josef Lhevinne. Mrs. Munger was a pianist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for 32 years.
2021 IMTA Conference Streaming Links
Use the following links to view all conference events that are live-streamed. Consult the 2021 conference schedule for details about which events are live-streamed. Have fun this weekend!
AIM Festival Dates for 2021-2022
The dates and deadlines for the 2021-2022 AIM Festivals around the state are now on the AIM Festival page.
They are:
2021 Hoosier Auditions – State Round Results
Pre-Early Elementary Piano Solo
Winner: Sophia Liu – Student of Svetlana Soleimani
Alternate: Joanna Chan – Student of Aleksey Madan
Pre-Early Elementary Piano Duet
Winner: Evelyn Feng Chih and Joanna Chan – Students of Aleksey Madan
Early Elementary Piano Solo
Winner: Zoe Cha – Student of Svetlana Soleimani
Alternate: Roni Lyanda-Geller – Student of Aleksey Madan
Honorable Mentions:
Caroline L. Song – Student of Galit Gertsenzon
Melody Fei – Student of Melanie Manges
Elizabeth Slipchenko – Student of Aleksey Madan
Audrey Zhang – Student of Svetlana Soleimani
Angela Xiao – Student of Svetlana Soleimani
Early Elementary Piano Duet
Winner: Angela Xiao and Sophia Liu – Students of Svetlana Soleimani
Alternate: Chloe Hu and Lucille Hu – Students of Dilya Meehan
Elementary Piano Solo
Winner: Daniel Chen – Student of Svetlana Soleimani
Alternate: Emily Wang – Student of Tony Weinstein
Honorable Mentions:
Anna Sicoe – Student of Christine Freeman
Alexander Li – Student of Grace Hemaida
Andrew Lee – Student of Svetlana Soleimani
Elementary Piano Duet
Winner: Daniel Chen and Andrew Lee – Students of Svetlana Soleimani
Middle Piano Solo
Winner: Isaac Qian – Student of Ada Shebanova
Alternate: Elaine Zeng – Student of Nadya Dubikovsky
Honorable Mentions:
Kenny Wang – Student of Christine Freeman
Edward Ng – Student of Hamilton Tescarollo
Han Yan – Student of Tony Weinstein
Junior Piano Solo
Winner: Chloe Park – Student of Hamilton Tescarollo
Alternate: Ariel Lyanda-Geller – Student of Aleksey Madan
Honorable Mentions:
Jayden Wang – Student of Linda Belleville
Jack Ma – Student of Phoenix Park-Kim
Senior Piano Solo
Winner: Daniel Larsen – Student of Karen Taylor
Alternate: Cade Neely – Student of Grace Hemaida
Honorable Mentions:
Daniel Liu – Student of Hamilton Tescarollo
Arjun Siderys – Student of Galit Gertsenzon
Collegiate Piano Solo
Winner: Richard Wu – Student of Edward Auer
Alternate: Cecilia Horner – Student of Hamilton Tescarollo
Pre-Early Elementary Strings
Winner: Evelyn Feng Chih, Violin – Student of Yon Joo Lee
Early Elementary Strings
Winner: Harin Lee, Violin – Student of Megan Moon
Alternate: Melody Fei, Violin – Student of Yon Joo Lee
Elementary Strings
Winner: Ananya Anand, Violin – Student of Yon Joo Lee
Alternate: Bohan Aiden Zhang, Violin – Student of Yon Joo Lee
Middle Strings
Winner: Noelle Streuber-Eden, Violin – Student of Tamara Ringas
Alternate: JeFauna Zhu, Violin – Student of Yon Joo Lee
Senior Strings
Winner: Bohua Peter Zhang, Violin – Student of Yon Joo Lee
Alternate: Frank Shi, Violin – Student of Yon Joo Lee
Junior Winds
Winner: Alexa Magnus – Student of Michael Anne Tolan
Alternate: Nathaniel R. Kalenny – Student of Michael Anne Tolan
Junior Voice
Winner: Hannah E. Seaman – Student of Caroline Bradley Smith
RESULTS of the 26th Stickley Piano Competition & Festival
Announcing the Winners of the 26th Annual Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition & Festival
From a field of 62 contestants, 12 winners and 17 honorable mentions were named at the 26th Annual Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition & Festival held on Friday, March 5th, at the Battell Community Center, Mishawaka, Indiana. The competition was sponsored by the South Bend Area Music Teachers Association and underwritten by the Elnora Hartman Stickley Scholarship Fund.
The competition was open to pre-college students up to age 18. All students named below will receive cash awards and the winners will perform at the Winners Recital on Saturday, March 13, 7:00 p.m., at the Battell Community Center Auditorium, Mishawaka. Because of the pandemic, the recital is closed to the public. This event will be open to the winners’ immediate family members and their teachers.
Cash awards will be distributed as follows:
Winners – Division I – $50; Division II – $75; Division III – $100; Division IV – $125; Division V – $150; Division VI – $175
Honorable Mentions -Division I – $25; Division II – $35; Division III – $45; Division IV – $55; Division V – $65; Division VI – $75
26th ANNUAL STICKLEY MEMORIAL PIANO COMPETITION & FESTIVAL WINNERS & HONORABLE MENTIONS:
DIVISION I (age 7 & under)
Winners:
Mae O’Brien – Teacher Dr. Patricia Collins Jones
Bree Wipperman – Teacher Dr. Patricia Collins Jones
Honorable Mention:
Elin Zhang – Teacher Linda Belleville
DIVISION II (ages 8 & 9)
Winners:
Babajide Johnson – Teacher Linda Witchie
Tianzi Liu – Teacher Dr. Sandra L. Camp
Honorable Mentions:
Annabelle Huebner – Teacher Linda Witchie
Leonardo Lu – Teacher Dr. Patricia Collins Jones
Xiaohe Wang – Teacher Dr. Patricia Collins Jones
DIVISION III (ages 10 & 11)
Winners:
Jianan Qu – Teacher Dr. Sandra L. Camp
Honorable Mentions:
Yuxuan Lin – Teacher Dr. Patricia Collins Jones
Ingrid Lund – Teacher Dr. Mary Rose Norell
Teresa Spoonhower – Teacher Kathleen Keasey
DIVISION IV (ages 12 & 13)
Winners:
Nina Bauer – Teacher Margie Collier
Omolabake Johnson – Teacher Linda Witchie
Gabriel A. Maxwell – Teacher Lydia Balorda
Honorable Mentions:
Stanley Liew – Teacher Dr. Patricia Collins Jones
Angela Pham – Teacher Kathleen Keasey
Amelia Wenkus -Teacher Kathleen Keasey
DIVISION V (ages 14 & 15)
Winners:
Etien Balorda -Teacher Lydia Balorda
Jayden Wang – Teacher Linda Belleville
Honorable Mentions:
Anton Alstrom – Teacher Dr. Luke Norell
Luke Greising – Teacher Celia Weiss
Jeremy Shin – Teacher Linda Witchie
Grace Wang – Teacher Dr. Patricia Collins Jones
DIVISION VI (ages 16, 17 & 18)
Winners:
Harmon Balorda – Teacher Lydia Balorda
Gabbi Vincent – Teacher Dr. Luke Norell
Honorable Mentions:
Ian Ochieng – Teacher Dr. Sandra L. Camp
Rachel Yuan – Teacher Linda Belleville
Yao-Han Gabriel Zhang – Teacher Ketevan Badridze
