Congratulations to the 2022-2023 OSTA Award winners!
OSTA Young Teacher of the Year: Emily Way, Hilliard City Schools
OSTA School Teacher/Orchestra Director of the Year: Lynn Herndon Denney, Sycamore City Schools/Wyoming City Schools
OSTA Studio/Collegiate Teacher of the Year: Garry Wasserman, Columbus OH
Ohio String Teachers, come and join us for a great day of learning and making music together!!
Congratulations to our 2022 OSTA Award winners. They were recognized at our annual meeting during the OMEA Professional Conferenceon February 2nd, 2022 in Cleveland.
Please join us in celebrating these wonderful educators!!
School Orchestra Director of the Year (’20-’21): Chris Lape, Upper Arlington Schools
School Orchestra Director of the Year (’21-’22): Erin Broadhurst, Hilliard City Schools
Collegiate Teacher of the Year (’21-’22): Dr. David Pope, Baldwin Wallace University
Studio Teacher of the Year (’21-’22): Juan Carlos Ortega, Columbus OH
Young Teacher of the Year (’21-’22): Tanner Otto, Sycamore Community School District
Administrator of the Year (’21-’22): Mark Sholl, Hilliard City Schools
Chamber Music Competition
Congratulations to all the participants in the 13th Annual OSTA Chamber Music Competition. This year;s event was held on January 19, 2020 at Otterbein University. Nine ensembles participated. Our guest judges this year were Dr. Richard Lopez from the piano faculty of Otterbein University, Ms. Beth Uhimchuk, violinist with Cincinnati’s 4-Way String Quartet, and Mr. Thomas Wood violin professor from the College of Wooster.
Congratulations to the winning ensembles.
Junior Division Honorable Mention
Mars String Quartet: Blake Collins & Jack Demos, violins; Cedrick McCafferty, viola; Danielle Hall, violoncello
Junior Division Second Prize
Torro String Quartet: Elizabeth Martin & Marissa Tayal, violins; Gabrielle Cassell-Ramirez, viola; Joshua Richards-Jarvis, violoncello
Junior Division First Prize
Marquis String Quartet: Cecilia Martin & Kenneth Becthel, violins; Jacob Liu, viola; Eric Spain, violoncello
Senior Division First Prize
DAJJ Quartet: Anna Linder & Mathias Koo, violins; Julian Tugaoen, viola; Kate Fornshell, violoncello
Congratulations to the 2019-2020 recipients of OSTA awards of recognition.
Administrator of the Year         Ann Schloss, Elyria City School District
Studio Teacher of the Year       Elizabeth Council-Phelan, Corryville Suzuki Project
New Teacher of the Year          Kathleen Schnerer, Perrysburg Schools
Collegiate Teacher of the Year  Mr. Robert Vernon, Cleveland Institute of Music
School Teacher of the Year       Gretchen Zunic, Upper Arlington Schools
-7:45 pm room 263/264 in the Convention Center – New Music Reading Session Sponsored by Stanton’s Sheet Music and led by Megan Wetzel. IMPORTANT!! Bring a folding stand. The assigned to us in NOT a performance room and will not have music stands in it. Large instruments will be furnished by The Baroque Violin Shop. If you are able, bring a bass or cello with you from the exhibits.
Are you looking to fund a project that enhances and supports string teaching in Ohio? OSTA awards several Mini-Grants each year of up to $200 to members and their students/programs. Criteria and application is included in the Google form below. Grants will be awarded by April 1st. Deadline is March 1.
Do you know an Outstanding Teacher or Administrator? Please take a moment to submit YOUR nomination for one or many the 2019-2020 OSTA Awards, including:
-School Orchestra Teacher of the Year
-Collegiate Teacher of the Year
-Studio Teacher of the Year
-Young Teacher of the Year (5 or fewer years of experience)
-Administrator of the Year.
Deadline for nomination is January 25, 2020. Awards will be presented at the OSTA Reading Session during the OMEA conference on January 30, 2020
The 13th Annual OSTA Chamber Music Competition will be held at Otterbein University in the Battelle Fine Arts Center on January 19, 2020. The competition is open to collegiate groups from the state of Ohio, and pre-college groups. Pre-college groups can compete in the Junior division for cash prizes or participate in the Apprentice division for comments only. The Senior division groups compete for cash prizes. All groups must include one ASTA member, or be coached by a member of ASTA. Applications must be received by January 15, 2020. Click here for details and guidelines –> Chamber 2020 Guidelines . Questions and inquiries can be directed to:
Jim Bates, OSTA Competition Organizing Chair
Director of Orchestra Activities, Otterbein University
1 South Grove Street, Westerville Ohio 43081
614-823-1553 (office), jbates@otterbein.edu (email)
Directions to Otterbein University and the Battelle Fine Arts Center can be found here:
http://campustour.otterbein.edu/sites/default/files/tour/media/OtterbeinCampusMap.pdf
Dear Ohio String Teachers, Friends and Colleagues,
Another school year comes to a close, completing the cycle once more. I hope that the past year was marked by many successes and teaching triumphs. The summer will be a chance to recharge and prepare for the cycle to begin once again. However, some things are already revving up for next year, and one of those is planning for OMEA PDC in Cincinnati Jan. 30, 31 and Feb. 1.
I hope you will consider submitting a string clinic proposal for OMEA as one of our OSTA sponsored events. Having sponsored events/clinics helps OSTA maintain a healthy relationship with OMEA. Clinic session proposals must be submitted by May 31, 2019. If you would like to submit a proposal as a sponsored session, please send your complete proposal to me by the end of the day May 30. [See the OMEA website for the complete information required for submission. www.omea-ohio.org ]
I will then complete the submission process for you. If you have already submitted a proposal for next year. No problem! Send me a copy of the proposal that you have already submitted and I will submit it as an OSTA sponsored session.
May 30, 2019 deadline!!
Enjoy your summer,
Jim Bates
President, Ohio String Teachers Association
Ohio String Teachers' Association 
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