A Warm Welcome to our latest addition Arizona string teacher, cellist Mary Ann Ramos, NAU

Dr. Mary Ann Ramos has been on cello faculty at Northern Arizona University since the Fall of 2010.  She holds prizes in various competitions, among them the Mexican National Cello Competition and the Music Teachers National Association.  Solo concerto appearances include the Gateway Festival Orchestra, the University City Symphony, the Alton Symphony, and the Kirkwood Symphony.  On May 19, 2010, Dr. Ramos was invited to be the featured soloist at the Official State Luncheon hosted by Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton in honor of the President of Mexico's visit to Washington D.C.

This summer she will be on faculty at the Sphinx Performance Academy in Chicago, IL and Oberlin, OH.  Previous summer festival engagements have included Festival du Chambre du Larzac (France), Festival Artistico Coahuila (Mexico), PhoenixPhest (Michigan), Insbrook Institute (Missouri), Chamber Music Encounter (Missouri), Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory (Colorado), Peaks to Plains Advanced Chamber Camp (Colorado) and Chamber Music Connection (Ohio).

Dr. Ramos completed her Bachelor’s degree at New England Conservatory as a student of Laurence Lesser, her Master’s degree at Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of Richard Aaron, and her Doctorate at University of Michigan as a student of Anthony Elliott.

Recently Mary Ann led one of our cello master classes at Tucson Cello Congress.  Welcome Mary Ann!

ASTA National Solo Competition 2013

The American String Teachers Association
announces the 2013
National Solo Competition Audition Repertoire
 
  (picured Joshua Bell, past winner of ASTA solo competition 1981)
 

2013 National Solo Competition Repertoire

I. JUNIOR DIVISION
Junior division is open to musicians under the age of 19
(born on or after March 20, 1994).
 
VIOLIN      
1) Bach: Any movement from the Solo Sonatas or Partitas  
2) Bloch: Nigun
3) Any piece of the contestant's choice
 
 
VIOLA    
1) Bach: Any movement from the Solo Cello Suites  
2) Bruch: Romance, Op. 85
3) Any piece of the contestant's choice
 
 
CELLO      
1) Bach: Any movement from the Solo Suites  
2) Frescobaldi-Cassadó: Toccata
3) Any piece of the contestant's choice
 
 
DOUBLE BASS     
1) Bach: Any movement from the Solo Cello Suites  
2) Franz Anton Hoffmeister: Concerto No. 1,1st Movement (with piano parts for solo)

3) tuning or orchestral tuning), published by Hoffmeister/obtainable through Lemur Music Co.    
Any piece of the contestant's choice
 
 
GUITAR      
1) Bach:  Any movement from a solo work
2) Francisco Tárrega: Capricho árabe
3) Any piece or pieces of the contestant's choice
 
 
HARP      
1) Bach:  Any movement from a solo work  
2) Naderman: Sonatina #5   
3) Any piece of the contestant's choice
 
 
 
II. SENIOR DIVISION
Senior division is open to musicians ages 19-25
(born on or after March 20, 1988 and before March 20, 1994).
 
VIOLIN   
1) Bach: Any movement from the Solo Sonatas or Partitas
2) Kreisler: Recitative and Scherzo  
3) Any piece of the contestant's choice      
 
 
VIOLA    
1) Bach: Any movement from the Solo Cello Suites
2) Weber: Andante and Rondo Ungarese   
3) Any piece of the contestant's choice
 
 
CELLO    
1) Bach: Any movement from the Solo Suites  
2) Frescobaldi-Cassadó: Requiebros  
3) Any piece of the contestant's choice
 
 
DOUBLE BASS    
1) Bach: Any movement from the Solo Cello Suites
2) Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata (Movement I), Stuart Sankey, Editor,
3) published by International. Any piece of the contestant's choice
 
 
GUITAR    
1) Bach: Gigue and Double from Suite, BWV 997 (any edition)
2) Francisco Tárrega: Fantasia on Themes from La Traviata
3) Any piece or pieces of the contestant's choice
 

HARP    
1) Bach: Any movement from a solo work
2) Guridi: Viejo Zortzico   
3) Any piece of the contestant's choice
     
 
About The National Solo Competition
The American String Teachers Association promotes excellence in string and orchestra teaching and playing. Through its biannual national solo competition, ASTA has helped launch the careers of a significant number of today's most successful artist performers and teachers. Among past ASTA prizewinners, you will find well-known soloists, principals of major symphony orchestras, prominent university studio faculty, and much more! Make plans to join this rich history by entering students in the 2013 ASTA National Solo Competition. Look for application details coming soon.

Further information on the solo competition guidelines, new online application submission procedure, and live final-round location will be announced later this winter. ****If you are an Az Asta member you will receive the latest updated information through our announcements via emails directly to you.

Finals of the National Solo Competition

The next National Solo Competition will be held in 2013. The competition is open to ASTA student members or students of a current ASTA member with instrument categories of Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp and Guitar. For entry into the national round, each participant submits to the application, fee and audition recording for evaluation. For more information contact the ASTA National Office (libby@astaweb.com).

Congratulations to our 2012 Az ASTA Outstanding Studio Teacher of the Year- Dr. Louise Scott

Louise Scott is Professor of Violin and Pedagogy in the School of Music at Northern Arizona University.  She received a Bachelor of Music in Education and a Master of Music in Violin Performance with Walter Verdehr at Michigan State with further work at Indiana University with Josef Gingold, and Tadeusz Wronski. In 1980, she completed her doctorate in Violin Performance at the University of Arizona where she studied with John Ferrell. In addition, she completed teacher training in the Suzuki Method with John Kendall at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
 
During her music career, she has been a member of many orchestras including the Aspen Festival Orchestra, the Lansing Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony, the Memphis Symphony, the Tucson Symphony and she has been has been Concertmaster for the Arizona Opera since 1993 and Concertmaster of the Flagstaff Symphony since 1985. In addition to her orchestral work, she regularly performs chamber music with colleagues at NAU and with her husband, Frank Scott, who is Director of the Piano Program at NAU.

Dr. Scott regularly presents master classes, workshops and clinics across the country, especially with advanced students in the Suzuki method. Summer workshops include the Hawaii Suzuki Institute, the NAU Suzuki Institute, the Alaska Suzuki Institute, the Black Hills South Dakota Advanced String Camp, the Oregon Suzuki Institute, the Stanford Advanced String Camp, the Southern California Suzuki Institute, and the Curry Summer Music Camp at NAU.

She has been actively involved in national string teaching organizations, including the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the American String Teachers Association, serving as President of the Arizona ASTA from 1990 to 1992 and presently serves on the board of the Arizona Suzuki Association. As a Violin Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, Dr. Scott has provided Suzuki training to many students who are now teaching in schools and programs across the country.  

Dr. Scott was awarded the Northern Arizona University Distinguished Faculty Award in 1992, membership in Phi Kappa Phi in 1996 and served as the Director of the School of Music at NAU from 2002 to 2006.