2025 The 14th Annual Kathryn Gawartin Chopin Piano  Competition Application

Co-Chairs: Dr. Wojciech Kocyan & Louisa Wong

Competition date: Sunday afternoon of  April 27, 2025  Location: Crossroads School, Santa Monica
Competition format:  live performance 

Online application will be available Mid March 2025

Online application deadline: April 13, 2025

Competition schedule will be emailed to all participating teachers a week prior to April 24 wherein the competition is held.
Please submit entry fee payment using our Stripe account.

WINNERS’ RECITAL will be held  on Sunday,  May 4, 2025 at  2 p.m.. at Crossroads School, Santa Monica

All prize winners are required to participate in the  Winners’ Recital.

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COMPETITION PURPOSE:

To encourage the highest level of Chopin piano performance for pre-college (ages 18 and under) students of all MTAC members. This competition is open to ALL MTAC Branches.

REPERTOIRE & TIME LIMIT

Entrants may choose from any of the solo piano works of Chopin. Entrants may select one of the following:

1. One long work in its entirety (with the exception of multi movements works);

2. One movement or multiple movements from a single sonata. Maximum time allowed is 10 minutes.

3. A collection of shorter pieces from the Chopin solo piano repertoire. Maximum time allowed is 10 minutes.

DIVISIONS, FEES & AWARDS

Division I : age 10* & under

Entry Fee  : $70

Make a Payment

Awards.    : 1^st place: $150, 2^nd place $100     

Division II : age 13* & under

Entry Fee  : $80

Make a Payment

Awards     : 1^st place: $300, 2^nd place $200     

Division III: age 18* & under & pre-college

Entry Fee   :  $90

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Awards     : 1^st place: $500, 2^nd place $400     

*Age as of competition day of April 24, 2025.

Proof-of-age documents: birth certificate, passport, driver’s license etc.

Registration fee is non refundable. Additional $20 late fee incurs per entry past

application deadline and upon approval of co-chairs.    

 In the event of a tie or ties, scholarship award amounts will be redistributed within the Division in which the tie(s) occurs.

2025 Competition Rules and Guidelines

1. Student must currently be studying with a current MTAC teacher member from any branch. Said teacher must be student’s primary piano instructor for at least six months immediately prior to the Competition.

2. Each teacher is allowed to enter up to three students in each division.           

Previous first place winners in Division I  are not legible for Division I.                  

Previous first place winners in Division II are not legible for Division II.                

Previous first place winners in Division III are not legible for Division III.

3. All music must be memorized. Contestants who do not play from memory will be heard by the judges, but are ineligible to be selected as   winners.

4. Contestants must submit a copy of the music to be performed to the competition judges. 

5. Decisions of the judges are final
a. Judges are not obligated to select a winner in each division.
b. Any teacher who at any time contacts a judge regarding this Competition and/or its results may have his/her student disqualified from the  Competition.
c. Any parent who at any time contacts a judge regarding this Competition and/or its results may have his/her child disqualified from the Competition.                            

6.  The receipt of a submitted MTAC-WLA Online Application Form & Competition Agreement for the Kathryn Gawartin Chopin Piano Competition shall be deemed as an acceptance and agreement of the applicant to the Competition Rules & Regulations stated above.                                                                                   

7. In the event of any disputes, claims, questions, or disagreements arising from or relating to the rules and regulations of this Competition or the Competition Agreement, or the breach thereof, MTAC-WLA shall utilize its best effort to settle the disputes, claims, questions, or disagreements.  To this effect, involved parties shall consult and negotiate with each other in good faith, and recognizing their mutual interest, attempt to reach a fair and equitable solution satisfactory to both parties. If the parties do not reach a        solution within a period of sixty (60) days, then upon notice by either party to the other, all disputes, claims, questions, or differences shall be finally settled by an arbitration  administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with the provisions of its Commercial Arbitration Rules. Each party to bear its own cost.

 

Parents guardians, or parent representatives (not the teacher) must accompany minor students during all branch events: Students must be at a visible location of the venue, not backstage or in any other space which is not in view of the parents, guardian or their parent representative (teacher is not considered to be the parent representative.)