The Simon-Fiset Suite of Competitions
The Simon-Fiset Competitions were established to encourage young students to continue the serious study of music by acknowledging their exceptional ability, application, and meritorious accomplishment by awarding monetary prizes in the areas of composition, piano, and strings. The legacy of these outstanding opportunities represents one of SMTA’s premier offerings for young musicians in the Seattle area. We hope to see you and your students at next season’s Simon-Fiset!
Click here to read about the history of these competitions.
Piano Division
The Simon-Fiset Piano Division is supported by a generous gift from Willard Schultz.
Chair: Thom Stuart
Event Dates: February 8 - 9, 2025
Location: Seattle Chamber Music Society
Registration:
January 2 - January 20 (8:00 am PT no exceptions)
2024 Results: Click here to view
Guidelines: Click to download 2025 Guidelines
As the professional standard of this competition requires extensive effort and cost to ensure the utmost quality for students, all registration fees are final and nonrefundable.
2025 Registration is Closed
SMTA is happy and proud to present the annual Simon-Fiset Piano Competition, which is scheduled for February 8 and 9, 2025. We are also thrilled that last year’s host, Seattle Chamber Music Society (“SCMS”) will again welcome us to their beautiful, state-of-the-art center in downtown Seattle at Union Square.
We are also excited to announce our 2025 Simon-Fiset Piano adjudicators, Dr. Donna Lee, Coordinator of Piano Studies at Kent State University and Dr. Stephen Pierce of the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.
Also, please check Staccato Notes and the website for registration and other details. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to Thom Stuart, SMTA VP of Competitions or Dr. Leann Osterkamp He, SMTA’s Administrative Coordinator. You can reach Thom at: simonfisetpiano@gmail.com.
Calling all volunteers!! We need you to help with the 2025 Simon-Fiset Piano event! If you are interested and able to help volunteer on-site during the competition, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to simonfisetpiano@gmail.com for more info and to join Team Simon-Fiset at our 2025 event!
Performance space at Chamber Music Society
Venue: Seattle Chamber Music Society
2025 Adjudicators:
Dr. Donna Lee, Coordinator of Piano Studies at Kent State University
Dr. Stephen Pierce, University of Southern California Thornton School of Music
Dr. Stephen Pierce
South African born pianist, Stephen Pierce enjoys a varied career as a teacher, presenter, performer, adjudicator, clinician, and scholar. At the University of Southern California, he oversees the secondary piano and keyboard pedagogy programs and teaches applied piano and piano pedagogy. Stephen also teaches piano privately in Pasadena, and at Interlochen Arts Camp each summer.
A regular presenter throughout the US and South Africa, Stephen has given presentations, masterclasses and workshops in South Africa and the United States at conferences such as the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP), and for arts entities such as The Gilmore. His written contributions have appeared in journals such as Piano Pedagogy Forum, and The South African Music Teacher, as well on the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) Online Teacher Portal, and the Yamaha Educator Suite.
Stephen has performed in the USA, Canada, Czech Republic, and throughout South Africa, and won prizes and awards for his playing including second prize and two special prizes at the UNISA National Piano Competition in South Africa. He has also received awards for his teaching including the D.J. Rhoode Overseas Scholarship for Piano Pedagogy from the University of South Africa (UNISA). In addition, his performances have been broadcast on South African television and radio.
Stephen is an MTNA Foundation Fellow, as well as an RCM Academic Ambassador, Examiner and Certified Teacher. He is currently CAPMT Collegiate Chapter state chair and formerly served as the CAPMT Vice President for Conferences, District 9 Director and as editor of CAPMT Connect. Stephen holds degrees in piano performance from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and two licentiates of music from the University of South Africa. His mentors include Joseph Stanford, Frank Weinstock, and Michelle Conda. For more information, visit his website: stephenpiercepiano.com
Dr. Donna Lee
Steinway artist Donna Lee made her solo debut in 1990 with the National Symphony Orchestra. She has since appeared as a soloist and collaborative artist at Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall and Terrace Theater in Washington, DC and Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York City. She has concertized in Asia, Europe and throughout the US, with performances in Shenyang, China, Brno, Czech Republic and Maui, Hawaii. Donna made her solo recording debut on the Azica label and in 2011, released a recording on the Blue Griffin label of Felix Mendelssohn’s Complete works for cello and piano with cellist Keith Robinson. Fanfare Magazine called the disc,” …quite simply, amazing”.
Critics have described Donna Lee’s performances as elegant and refined (Il Fronimo, Italy), engaging (WCLV-Cleveland) and brilliant (Iwate Daily News, Japan). As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed at the Ameri-China Festival in China, Gotland Chamber Music Festival in Sweden, Brevard Music Center in North Carolina, Interlochen Arts Center in Michigan, Kent Blossom Music Festival in Ohio, Maui Classical Music in Hawaii, Music-on-the-Hill in Rhode Island and Classical Tahoe in Nevada. A frequent collaborator with clarinetist Daniel Gilbert, the husband-wife duo has performed in recital throughout the United States, including recent performances in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington as well as in Chengdu, China.
An acclaimed pedagogue, Donna Lee has received accolades for her teaching. In October of 2021, she was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame, a prestigious designation recognizing the work of North America’s most committed and passionate piano teachers. In that same year, she received a Distinguished Teaching Award from Kent State University, the institution’s highest teaching honor, where she serves on the faculty as Professor and Coordinator of Piano. Donna is also artist-faculty and Coordinator of Piano at Brevard Music Center in North Carolina, one of America’s premier summer training programs and festivals.
A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Donna Lee earned her doctorate from Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University, Masters from The Juilliard School, and Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she studied with prominent artist-teachers Julian Martin, the late Rudolf Firkušný, and Thomas Schumacher, respectively.
Low Strings Division
Chair: Haeyoon Krentz
Registration: January 30 - February 24, 2025 (8:00 am PT, no late registrations, no exceptions).
Event Date: March 11, 2025
Location: Maple Leaf Lutheran Church
2025 Adjudicator: Bruce Walker
Registration will be in February. Please watch future Staccato Notes and the website for details and information on the dates, rules, and fees or contact Haeyoon Krentz at haeyoonsk12@gmail.com.
The Simon-Fiset Strings Competition is open to students ages 5-18 who have not graduated from high school.
2025 Registration
Check if your teacher is a member here or by emailing smtaoffice@gmail.com.
Dr. Bruce Walker
Bruce Walker is an Associate Professor of Music at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, WA, Music Director for the Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra, Past President of the Washington chapter for the American String Teachers Association, on the Board of Directors for the Suzuki Association of the Americas, College/University representative for the Washington Music Educators Association, and the 2021 Music Educator of the Year by the Washington Music Educators Association. Previously, he has held the positions of Music Director for the Yakima Youth Symphony and Oregon East Symphony Youth Orchestras.
During the summer months, Mr. Walker works throughout the United States and Canada at various Suzuki institutes, music camps, festivals, and retreats. Internationally, he has also worked with the Youth Excellence on Stage Academy in collaboration with American Voices, a non-profit, cultural exchange organization. Through this organization, he has conducted orchestras and taught cello in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
As a conductor, Mr. Walker participated in many workshops and music festivals across the United States such as the Marrowstone Music Festival, Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestral Musicians, various workshops sponsored by the Conductor’s Guild, Astoria Music Festival, Rose City International Conductor’s Workshop, and the University of Oregon Orchestral Conducting Institute. He has appeared as guest conductor with the Central Washington University Symphony, Oregon East Symphony, Yakima Symphony, Portland Columbia Symphony, and the Musicians of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Memorable for his unique style of positive student engagement, analogies, and his knowledge of the orchestral repertoire, Mr. Walker is also in high demand as an adjudicator and guest conductor for many All-State and Honors Orchestras throughout the United States, most recently conducting the 2021 Nevada All-State Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming engagements include working with orchestras and schools in throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alabama and presenting at various conferences.
Mr. Walker earned Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Cello Performance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Master of Music degree from Central Washington University focusing on Orchestral Conducting and Cello Performance. In the fall of 2019, he began his Doctor of Music Arts degree in Music Education through Boston University. When not in the classroom, on the podium working with ensembles, or teaching cello lessons, he enjoys hiking and traveling around the Pacific Northwest, enjoying time outside around a BBQ pit and smoker sampling new culinary creations, or shopping for and admiring argyle socks.
Composition Division
Chair: Dr. Leann Osterkamp He
Registration Period: March 1, 2025 - March 24, 2025
Winners Announced: April 30, 2025
Location: Online submissions
Updated Rules/Guidelines/Application Coming Soon -
Click here to view the 2023 Rules & Guidelines
Simon-Fiset Composition accepts submissions from students in first through twelfth grade grouped into four divisions. New composers are encouraged to enter! All submissions require a complete score and audio recording of the composition (live instruments or digital instrumentation). Students may submit more than one composition but must submit a separate application and fee with each submission. See the rules & guidelines linked above for more information.
All entrants receive age-appropriate positive and constructive written feedback from the adjudicator. Submissions receiving first through third places will receive Visa gift cards. All students will receive a certificate for participation.
Contact the SMTA office for more information.
Dr. Jared Miller
Described as a “rising star” by MusicWorks magazine, JUNO-Nominated composer Jared Miller has collaborated with the American Composers Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, the symphony orchestras of Vancouver, Toronto, Detroit and New Jersey, The Attacca Quartet, Latitude 49, the New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute and Standing Wave. His music has been presented in the New York Philharmonic Biennial, the ISCM World Music Days, Vancouver’s Queer Arts Festival and the Festival Internacional de Jóvenes Orquestas.