Commissioned Sonatina Award

2024-2025 Season: $750 Award for 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. This season, the award will go to a WSMTA teacher-composer.

We are looking for an early-intermediate level sonatina in three movements, for solo, duet or trio involving any combination of piano, flute, and/or violin. A nod to traditional sonata-allegro form is welcome but not necessary; any brief work in several movements will qualify as a sonatina. What is most important is that all parts be playable by early-intermediate level students.

WSMTA teacher members should send 3 to 5 short examples or excerpts of Intermediate level compositional style by 11:59 pm PT November 1, 2024. The works will be reviewed anonymously by a panel of SMTA members, who will choose one composer by December 1, 2024. The commissioned composer will submit a finished piece by February 15, 2025. The Marsha Wright Commissioned Sonatina Award is $750, paid upon submission of the final piece.

The new sonatina will be premiered at The Marsha Wright Sonatina Festival in April 2025. 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.

If commissioned, you will be required to submit a finished piece (in typed format, i.e. Sibelius, Finale) by February 15.  

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: compare to Suzuki Volume 3
Flute: Compare to ABRSM Grade 5 or below

*The award is named in honor of 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