Commissioned Sonatina Award

Congratulations to Azeem Egizi (teacher Thomas Lee), winner of the 2026 award!

You can see excerpts and hear the sonatina below. If you wish to access the score or perform part of the work on the upcoming Sonatina Festival, please email smtaoffice@gmail.com or chair of the Sonatina Festival, Thomas Lee.

$1000 Commissioned Sonatina Award for a WSMTA Teacher/Composer

Seattle Music Teachers Association launched The Marsha Wright Commissioned Sonatina Award as a means to support student and teacher composers and encourage composition of new sonatinas. The award alternates between WSMTA teachers in odd-numbered years and student composers in even-numbered years. For 2027 the award will go to a WSMTA teacher-Composer.

We are looking for an early-intermediate level sonatina for solo or combination of instruments. A nod to traditional sonata-allegro form is welcome but not necessary; any brief work in several movements will qualify as a sonatina.

WSMTA teacher members should send 3 to 5 short examples or excerpts of early-intermediate level compositional style by 11:59 pm PT September 30, 2026. The works will be reviewed anonymously by a panel of SMTA members, who will choose one composer by October 15, 2026. The commissioned composer will submit a finished piece by January 2, 2027. The Marsha Wright Commissioned Sonatina Award is $1000, paid upon submission of the final piece. 

The new sonatina will be premiered at The Marsha Wright Sonatina Festival in April, 2027. If the composer has a student in mind while they are creating the piece, we welcome that student to perform in the Sonatina Festival.

The award is named in honor of the Sonatina Festival’s founder and is supported by a generous gift from Dorothy Woodcock.

Suggestions/guidelines for an early-intermediate level piece:

Limit the key signature to 1 or 2 sharps or flats. 

Meters: compound time such as 6/8 is OK.

Piano: compare to a Clementi sonatina

Violin/Viola: compare to Suzuki Volume 3

First and Third positions; Pitch range: Violin - low G (open G) to the D 2.5 octaves above that. Viola - same only a fifth lower.
 
The award is named in honor of Marsha Wright, the Sonatina Festival’s
founder and is supported by a generous gift from Dorothy Woodcock.

Previous Winners:

2019: Katie Levine, SMTA Teacher/composer

2020: Rachael S. Kim, student of WSMTA teacher Sharon Van Valin

2021: Louise (Liz) Nedela, teacher member of the Clark County WSMTA Chapter

2022: Jeanne Park, student of WSMTA teacher Sharon Van Valin

2023: Nathan Campbell, WSMTA teacher/composer

2024: Nathan Zhao, student of Dr. Peter Mack, NCTM, SMTA Chapter

2025: Jeff Moidel, SMTA Teacher/composer

2026: Azeem Egizi, student of Thomas Lee