Marsha Wright Sonatina Festival
Date: April 25, 2027 at 2:30 and 4:00 pm
Registration: March 22 - April 16, 2027
Location: Wedgwood Presbyterian Church
Event Co-Chairs: Ondine de Mer, Tom Lee
SMTA hosts the Marsha Wright Sonatina Festival each year to celebrate the creative variety in this musical genre. Students of all ages have the opportunity to perform sonatinas (not sonatas) for solo instruments, duos, or ensembles of any size and makeup. We encourage teachers and students to program a wide variety of both classical and non-classical sonatinas. Newly composed works are most welcome! Performers have the opportunity to present interesting insight about the piece or composer to the audience. There is no judging or ranking, but rather a chance to perform in a less formal setting for the entire community.
View videos of previous performances here.
Congrats to this year’s commissioned student composer! If you would like to view the music and potentially premiere the work, you can preview it here.
Frequently Asked Questions / Repertoire
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Students of any age, level, or instrument!
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Registration runs through the SMTA website, on this page.
● Time limits:
○ SMTA Members are restricted to registering 15 minutes of total performance time per studio.
○ Non-members are restricted to 10 minutes of total performance time per studio.
○ Teachers who wish to register more students may contact the Festival chairs to be placed on a waitlist. Students on the waitlist may be able to register later if there is room.
● Fees:
$25 students of SMTA members, and $35 for students of non-SMTA members
● Since the registration form asks specifically for parent permission for both a health release and photo/video release, we encourage participating teachers to direct each of their student’s families to register themselves.
● Teachers should provide parents with the necessary information about their pieces (including title, composer, opus numbers, movement titles, and approximate timing of the piece) so that they can register accurately.
● **IMPORTANT** After you have filled out the registration form, please make sure to finish the registration process by completing the checkout and entering payment information (click on the “cart icon” at the top right-hand corner of the website). Your registration will not go through until you have submitted payment!
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Performing procedures:
● Memorized performances are encouraged, but not required
○ If a performance is not memorized, it is up to each performer to arrange for their own page-turner (such as a family member or teacher) if needed. If this isn’t possible, please email the Festival chairs in advance, so we can arrange for one.
● No repeats, please
● All student performers should be prepared to introduce themselves and their pieces
○ Students are also encouraged, if comfortable, to say a few words about their piece to help the audience better engage with their performance. No big speech needed-- just a couple sentences is enough! This is very open-ended, but here are some ideas:
■ Is there a neat or special compositional feature in this piece? Unusual rhythms? An unusual key change? An odd time signature, or a change in time signature?
■ Was the piece dedicated to or written for someone in mind?
■ What attracts you to this piece? Or does it remind you of a scene, image, or experience?
■ Or anything other interesting tidbit they’d like to share!
*Additional information and instructions may be sent closer to the date of the event. For any questions, please reach out to Festival co-chairs.
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Please contact co-chair Tom Lee at smtasonatinafestival@gmail.com.
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