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Performance and Evaluations

Saturday, May 26th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

MTNA-CAMPT District 8 Students Evaluations

Sunday, May 27th from 10:00am to 3:00pm

Performance and Evaluations

Sunday, May 27th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

National Guild Piano Audition Registration deadline

Friday, June 15th from 3:00pm to 8:00pm

National Guild Auditions Performance Preparation

Saturday, June 23rd from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

National Guild Auditions Performance Preparation

Sunday, June 24th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

National Guild Auditions Performance Preparation

Saturday, June 30th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

National Guild Auditions Performance Preparation

Saturday, July 14th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

National Guild Auditions Performance Preparation

Sunday, July 15th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

National Guild Auditions Performance Preparation

Saturday, July 21st from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

National Guild Auditions Performance Preparation

Sunday, July 22nd from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Monday, July 23rd from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Tuesday, July 24th from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Wednesday, July 25th from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Thursday, July 26th from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Sunday, July 29th from 9:00am to 5:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Monday, July 30th from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Tuesday, July 31st from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Wednesday, August 1st from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Thursday, August 2nd from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Sunday, August 5th from 9:00am to 5:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Monday, August 6th from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Tuesday, August 7th from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Wednesday, August 8th from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

National Guild Piano Auditions

Thursday, August 9th from 12:00pm to 8:30pm

Performance and Evaluations

Saturday, September 22nd from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

Performance and Evaluations

Sunday, September 23rd from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

Recital Performance Preparation

Saturday, October 13th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

Recital Performance Preparation

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Recital Performance Preparation

Saturday, October 20th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

Archive for the ‘competitions’ Category

Updates for March 2012

5March
in Awards, competitions, Events, Photo, Television, Video  •   Comments Off

Spring is almost here, and we have some updates for you.

First of all, we would like to congratulate the winners of the 2012 Fullerton College Piano Ensemble Festival Competition:

Grand Prize Winners:
Jessica Nguyen and Jade Hoang

Circle of Winners Intermediate Category:
Megan Pham and Nicole Phan
Karen Vuong and Lynda Bui

Circle of Winners Late Intermediate Category:
Mayvera Doaran and Maggie Bui

Winning Teachers: Hieu Nguyen, Ruby Shih, Pheobe Lee, Hisako Michishita, and Melody Chiang.

Great job everybody! Now it’s time to resume our workshops and continue building those competition skills. Performance and Evaluation for March will be held on Saturday the 24th and Sunday the 25th. Please visit our workshop sign-up form to reserve your seat.

Did you miss our portrait picture day? We will be having a Make-Up Picture day on March 12th at 3:30PM – 4:00PM. We will also be filming for a new T.V. Show on March 12th at 4:00PM.

In other news, we’ve updated our media library. You’ll find 125 new photos in the 2011 Christmas Recital album, and 12 new videos in the 2012 Television Show and 2012 HD Videos albums.

Hello fellow Little Chopin Students!

1September
in competitions  •   Comments Off

by Tedman Nguyen, Little Chopin writer
Tedman is currently studying piano at Little Chopin. He is a highschool senior and working on level 10 CM.

We don’t know how many years each of you have been here, some years, some just a few months, but we have no doubt that almost all of you guys have laid your eyes on some cute girl playing the piano. That’s right, we can tell. Maybe it’s that shy look on her face before while she’s doing theory in a corner, or maybe it’s the way that she tickles the piano keys during the workshop. And you think to yourself, “Wow. What’s her Facebook account?”

Or maybe you’re a girl and you’ve met some really funny guy, dresses nicely, who actually has nice hair, and whose smiles are such a charmer! But when he gets on that piano, you see the way his fingers just roll up and down and your heart just melts. You think to yourself, “If only I could play a duet with him, a DUET; we’d have to get to know each other, understand each other so much maybe he’ll be my boyfriend—!”

Wait a second there! A duet did you say? Listen, a duet is two people playing on the same piano, but a duo! That’s when two people are playing on two different pianos!
“Oh! What do I choose? Decisions, decisions…”

Don’t despair! Wait till I tell you that regardless of whether it’s a duet or a duo, these ensemble competitions are usually easier to win! That’s right! He’ll be your boyfriend, and you’ll get the money!

“Money? I like money! I love shopping!

Oh tell us something we don’t know! Here’s another tidbit! It’ll look good for college! If you win an ENSEMBLE competition, you can put that in your record and you’ll stand out amongst the crowd.

“OH! Where do I start? I’ve never been in a competition!!”

Then this is your lucky day! There are actually not one, but TWO coming up: the Annual Piano Ensemble competition sponsored by Fullerton College and MTAC Orange Branch (in late January or early February) and Southwestern Youth Music Festival (SYMF) in late July – early August at Cal State Long Beach.
“This is like, SO COOL, oh, there must be a catch!”

You’re right, there is! Quite perceptive for a shopaholic! This is the catch: for the competition sponsored by Fullerton College and MTAC, you have to do two pieces. One of your choice and another from a list! For SYMF, you have to choose both from the list!!! But, all levels and ages are welcome. Quite the easy one, actually.

“I’m going to faint! Hold me!”

Oh goodness, are duets really that awesome? Of course they are! Come with me, we must tell your teacher or Molly at once, so eager you are!

SYMF 2011 competition winners

12August
in competitions, Events  •   Comments Off

We did it again…Congratulations to our competition winners and their teachers:
Students of Ruby Shih:
Carolyn Tran:
First Place Winner Qualified Duet Category 4
Fourth Place Winner Qualified Solo Category 7B for 7 year-old
Kacie Ta:
First Place Winner Qualified Duet Category 4
Linda Bui:
Third Place Winner Qualified Duet Category 13 for 14 year-old
Fourth Place Winner Qualified Solo Category 45

Students of Molly Nguyen:
Aldric Gozon:
First Place Winner Korean Cultural Young Musician 2011 Competition
First Place Winner SYMF 2011 Open Chopin Waltz 2011 Category 17
Fourth Place Winner SYMF 2011 Open Solo Category 5
Thinh Le:
First Place SYMF 2011 Qualified Category 45 for 14 year old
Helena Nguyen:
Fourth Place Winner Qualified Category 52 for 15 year-old
Francis Le:
Fourth Place Winner Qualified Chopin Impromtu Category 2

Student of Pheobe Lee:
Karen Vuong:
Third Place Winner Qualified Duet Category for 14 year-old

Congratulations to our teacher of the Month: Ruby Shih for having the most Competition Winners!

Our next workshop will be on August 21st. This workshop is to choose candidates for our next TV show. You must be at least level 4 for this audition. Competition winners are automatically qualified. Your best audition piece will be a good choice for TV. If you would like to be in our next TV show, please sign up online.

2011 competition winners

10February
in Awards, competitions  •   Comments Off

We did it again.. Congratulations to our 2011 Fullerton College and MTAC Orange Branch Piano Ensemble Festival Winners:
Eric Phan and Carolyn Tran: Circle of Winners – Early Intermediate category
Helena Nguyen and Ashli Phan: Circle of Winners – Late Intermediate category
Winning teachers: Hisako Michishita, Ruby Shih, Molly Nguyen, Phoebe Lee

Little Chopin 2010 competition winners list:

7February
in competitions  •   Comments Off

We had a wonderful and successful year with many winners….
FULLERTON COLLEGE AND MTAC ORANGE COUNTY PIANO ENSEMBLE COMPETION 2010
Aldric Gozon and Megan Pham – Grand Prize Winners- Early Intermediate Category
Bernice Dinh and Mayvera Doaran – Grand Prize Winners- Intermediate Category
Katie Nguyenhoag and Minh-Thi Nguyen – Circle of Winners -Early Intermediate Category
Alex Huynh and Jennifer Dao- Circle of Winners – Intermediate Category
MUSICAL ARTS OF ORANGE COUNTY ANNUAL COMPETITION 2010
Susan Le – First Place Winner- Category II
Aldric Gozon- First Place Winner- – Category III
SOUTHWESTERN YOUTH MUSIC FESTIVAL COMPETITION (SYMF) 2010
Carolyn Tran and Eric Phan – First Place Winners- Duet Category 1 for 6-year-old
Kassandra Tran and Katrina Tran – First Place Winners- Duet Category 8 for 12-year-old
Susan Le – First Place Winner- Qualified Solo Category 10 for 8-year-old
Caitlin Nguyen – First Place Winner – Qualified Solo Category 47 for 14-year-old
Emily Tran – First Place Winner – Concerto Category 5 for 15-year-old
Amanda Nguyen – 1st place – Chopin’s Impromptu Category 3 for 16-year-old
Helena Nguyen and Caitlin Nguyen – Second Place Winners – Duet Category 14 for 14-year-old
Emily Tran – Chopin’s Etude Category 15 for 15-year-old
Katrina Tran – Third Place Winner- Qualified Solo Category 31 for 12-year-old
Aldric Gozon – Fourth Place Winner – Chopin’s Mazurka Category 4 for 12-year-old
Aldric Gozon – Fourth Place Winner – Baroque Category 1 for 8-year-old
Nicole Phan – Fourth Place Winner – Qualified Solo Category 11 for 8-year-olds
Courtney Nghiem – Fourth Place Winner – Qualified Solo Category 36 for 13-year-olds
Alex Huynh – Fourth Place Winner – Qualified Solo Category 45 for 14-year-olds
Sean Pham – Fourth Place Winner – Chopin Impromptu Category 3 for 16-year-olds

National Guild 2010 Results Posted

15August
in competitions  •   Comments Off

Congratulations to our national guild participants. All of our performers have received grades of Excellent Plus or higher! 8)

Here’s the breakdown:

Superior Plus : 31% ( A+ equivalent )
Superior : 55% ( A equivalent)
Superior Minus: 10% ( A- equivalent)
Excellent Plus: 4% ( B+ equivalent)

Please follow this link to view the full list.

Congratulations everybody! :-)

Explanation of National Guild Ratings

15August
in competitions  •   Comments Off

How To Calculate Your Pupils Current Rating in Guild Auditions

The numbers of C and A Checks on a pupil’s report card will determine his/her current years rating in the National Piano Playing Auditions, as follows:

Family Circle Current Rating

means the pupil’s preparation shows he/she is not yet ready to appear in public, but that they should find pleasure in playing the piano daily, trying always to improve their technical facilities as the golfer does his/her stroke so as to be able to please a wider audience, outside his/her family group; More A than C Checks. Fair.

Room Circle Current Rating

means the pupil’s preparation shows he/she is prepared to appear before his fellows in his room at school, who, being held for the most part, unaccomplished in music, are therefore not critical; 1 to 6 more C’s than A’s. Good to Good Plus.

School Circle Current Rating

means the pupil’s preparation shows he is prepared to the extent that he could creditably represent his school or club in a musical program at his school. 7 to 10 more C’s than A’s. Excellent to Excellent Plus.

Citywide Circle Current Rating

means the pupil’s preparation shows his/her playing sufficiently polished or outstanding to make him a possible selectee to represent his school in a citywide or countywide concert. 11 to 27 more C’s than A’s. Excellent Plus to Superior.

Top-Talent Circle Current Rating

means the pupil’s preparation shows he/she is adequately equipped musically and technically to appear before any audience anywhere, even though newspaper critics may be in the audience to herald his/her faults and virtues to the world. 28 (or more) more C’s than A’s. Superior Plus.

Piano Hobbyist Certificates

Students entering the auditions as piano hobbyists are graded on an A, B, C, D, and F basis. Letter grades are as follows:
A—Superior
B—Excellent
C—Good
D—Fair
F—Failing
Circle ratings do not apply to these students.

Explanation

Every Piano hobbyist or professional can be included in one of the above Circle Ratings. Judges are asked to express an opinion of each pupil’s preparation and his fitness to appear without discouraging results before groups that range from friendly to hostile. The Family, Room and School Circles are friendly groups before whom anyone can play without devastating results, but the City-Wide and Top-Talent Circle demand piano-playing of a higher order. Judges are therefore instructed neither to underrate or overrate any hobbyist or professional appearing before him for adjudication. The number of C and A Checks on the pupil’s report card will automatically indicate the Judge’s estimate, as explained above. Six more C’s than A’s will permit the pupil to enter for National NFSM membership in the next classification next year.

Our staff , students and parents are very proud to congratulate the following students who have won the Southwestern Youth Music Festival Competitions in August 2009
Aldric Gozon -1st Place Winner category 7 (7 years old) – student of Pheobe Lee
Megan Pham -2nd Place Winner catgory 7 (7 years old) – student of Binh-An Nguyen
Francis Le – 1st Place Winner category 27 (11 years old) – student of Molly Nguyen
Emily Tran – 4th Place Winner category 48 (14 years old) – student of Molly Nguyen
Sean Pham – 3rd Place Winner category 54 (15 years old) – student of Molly Nguyen