KCMTA June Newsletter

Hoping this finds you making some time for yourself after a very busy 2025-26. Summer is a great time to refresh, reflect and re-engage! Take advantage of the MTNA Summer Online Conference: TEMPO headed by Leila Viss on June 26th (more information here).

There are many great things coming in 2026-27! Fall Festival (Oct. 17th - 18th) will feature music of the Classical Era. Plan on being a part of Multi-Piano Concert 2027: Around the World in 88 Keys – registration will open Aug. 1st.

Be on the lookout for the new KCMTA website! It should be up and running by mid-June with all of the information for 2026-27!

As always, if you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Melissa

Melissa Falkner, NCTM

President, KCMTA

president.kcmta@gmail.com

ATTENTION KCMTA MEMBERS!!

MTNA National, State, and Local Membership Dues are due by June 30th! To renew, login to your MTNA account here and click "renew now." Questions or need help renewing your membership? Contact Megan Gordon at megangordonpiano@gmail.com.

Achievement Auditions was a huge success over the weekend of May 2nd and 3rd! Sixty-seven students participated in the auditions on Saturday and ten notable performers were selected to perform in the Honors Recital the very next day. Below are just a few of the pictures from the event. Additional photos are available on the KCMTA Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kcmta (scroll to the Achievement Auditions posts), and the Honors Recital video may be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1De5unsVT7/ Looking forward to your enrollments next year!

Dates have been formally set for the 2026 KCMTA Fall Festival and are shown below. Please stay tuned over the next few months, either through the newsletter or the KCMTA website, for more information about enrollment dates, registration fees, Classical composer list, and more.

KCMTA Fall Festival

Celebrating the Classical Period

Saturday & Sunday, October 17-18, 2026

Mid-America Nazarene University Bell Cultural Events Center

KCMTA is once again welcomed to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art to enjoy an afternoon of music making in their magnificent Atrium on Saturday, December 12, 2026.

Over the last three years we have shared our event at the Kemper Museum with hundreds of musicians and guests. This year, Gordon McNelly, Steinway Gallery, has generously donated us the use of a Steinway Grand. Mark your calendars and begin preparations as time will be limited and demand great. Application will begin September 1, 2026 and Studios accepted on a first-come basis.

Dear KCMTA Membership,

You may have recently received an email from Dr. Janet Fetterman, our most recent outgoing President, about helping her with a quick internal administrative task. Please be advised - it is a SCAM! The email address that this is coming from is not legitimate and you can verify it in our KCMTA yearbook. Please see the below photo as an example of this phony email.

Questions or concerns? Contact Emma Wohlgemuth at e.m.wohlgemuth@gmail.com. Thank you!

DEADLINE: Tuesday, June 30: MTNA National, State, and Local Membership Renewal Deadline

ENROLLMENT: Tuesday, September 1: Holiday Program at the Kemper Museum Registration Begins

Sat. & Sun, October 17-18: Fall Festival Celebrating the Classical Period | Mid-America Nazarene University Bell Cultural Events Center

Saturday, December 12: Holiday Program at the Kemper Museum

Registration is now open for Washburn Summer Keyboard Academy, a summer camp in Topeka, Kansas where students receive intensive instruction on the art of piano performance and take part in recreational activities. Open to young pianists entering grades 6 through college freshman year!

Dates: July 27 – July 31, 2026

Registration Deadline: July 5, 2026

Follow this link to learn more

Washburn Summer Keyboard Academy (WSKA) is hosted on the beautiful campus of Washburn University. Students receive daily private lessons with acclaimed university and artist-level faculty, participate in keyboard workshops, enjoy recreational activities, take literature and music history seminars, explore daily performance classes, have designated practice time, and gain performance experience in our recital halls! There are options to participate as campers and commuters. Our week-long tuition starts at only $330 for commuters and $475 for campers, and that includes meals, tuition fees, and a free WSKA t-shirt! Prospective students should have at least 2 years of private lessons on their main instrument and must be able to read music.

Featured faculty:

Dr. Lucy Tan, Director and Piano

Dr. Kristi Baker-Lampe, Piano

Dr. Kari Johnson Barroso, Piano

Dr. Kelly Huff, Music History and Music Theory

Contact person: Dr. Lucy Tan, WSKA Director; lucy.tan@washburn.edu

The Missouri MTA District III auditions will be held on September 19th at the Kansas City Piano store. Please visit on the MMTA website: https://missourimta.org/mmta-auditions/

If you have any questions, contact District III Audition Chair: Eva Peng: yevapeng@yahoo.com

Calling pianists of all ages! Play for feedback in a low-stress environment at William Jewell College's Keyboard Comments Day on Saturday, September 19th, 2026. No need for teachers to volunteer for the event, just have students register and perform 1-2 pieces of their choice. Memory is not required and there is no age limit. Can't attend in person? There is an online submission option as well. Check out the flyer for more details. Questions? Contact Dr. Jessica Koebbe at koebbej@william.jewell.edu

Saturday, October 17, 2026

Join Friends University Piano Faculty for a special day celebrating 250 years of American piano music! Participation for students and teachers is free and registration will open this summer in June.

Click here for more information on our competitions ($250 prizes for students), lectures, concerts and more!

We are pleased to share the 2026–27 dates for our piano festivals at Northwest Missouri State University, and we hope you will consider sending students again this year.

Bach Family Festival

Date: Sunday, October 26, 2026

Guest Artist: Ian Pritchard

Sonatina–Sonata Festival

Date: Sunday, January 31, 2027

Guest Artist: Shun Lin Chou

Both festivals continue to offer students meaningful performance opportunities, masterclasses, and exposure to guest artist teaching and performance. We especially encourage collaborative participation, including piano ensemble, chamber music, and mixed instrumental and vocal projects where appropriate.

More information about each festival, including registration details, repertoire guidelines, and past highlights, can be found on our Piano Festivals page: https://www.nwmissouri.edu/finearts/music/piano-festivals/index.htm

News to post? Reminders to send? Any and all submissions are welcome for the monthly KCMTA newsletter! If you have a submission in need of posting, please send it to Emma Wohlgemuth - e.m.wohlgemuth@gmail.com - by the 25th of each month. Your submission will then be posted on the 1st of the following month. Emergency news will be sent out as needed.

Website: kcmta.org

Contact Email: e.m.wohlgemuth@gmail.com