Please join your OSTA friends and colleagues on Thursday January 31, 2019 in Cleveland for the annual OSTA Reading Session, awards and membership meeting. Dan Clark from Stanton’s Sheet Music will provide the latest and greatest in string orchestra literature  complete with commentary and witticisms. We will catch up on state string news and honor some of our outstanding members. Gayley Hautzenroeder has put together tasty treats and cool drinks for your enjoyment. We hope to see you there!

Photo by Tom Swinnen on Pexels.com

OSTA Reading Session @ OMEA Professional Conference
The Cleveland Convention Center

Date: Thursday January 31, 2019

Location/Agenda: PLEASE NOTE LOCATION CHANGE
-Reading Session, Awards, & Meeting and at 7:30 in Ballroom CC26, 
-Refreshments at 8:30 in Room CC25

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 presented on January 31 during the OSTA reading session. Deadline is January 19th.

Click here to access the description and application!

Do you know an Outstanding Teacher or Administrator? Please take a moment to submit YOUR nomination for one or many the 2018-2019 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.

The 12th Annual OSTA Chamber Music Competition will be held at Otterbein University in the Battelle Fine Arts Center on January 20, 2019. 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 16, 2019. The details and application can be found HERE within the Chamber Music Competition 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

Please join your OSTA friends and colleagues on Thursday January 31, 2019 in Cleveland for the annual OSTA Reading Session, awards and membership meeting. Dan Clark from Stanton’s Sheet Music will provide the latest and greatest in string orchestra literature  complete with commentary and witticisms. We will catch up on state string news. Honor some of our outstanding members. Gayley Hautzenroeder has put together tasty treats and cool drinks for your enjoyment. We hope to see you there!

Photo by Tom Swinnen on Pexels.com

OSTA Reading Session @ OMEA Professional Conference
The Cleveland Convention Center

Date: Thursday January 31, 2019
Location: Ballroom 25
Agenda: Reading Session at 7:30 Awards, meeting and refreshments at 8:30

Congratulations to all the fine participants as well as the winners of the OSTA 2018 Chamber Music Competition! More pictures posted on the OSTA Facebook Page!

OSTA is proud to host the annual reading session, annual general meeting and reception during the 2018 OMEA Professional Conference in Columbus/

Note: OSTA members may attend the OMEA Conference at the OMEA member rate (even if you are not an OMEA member).  Click here to download the registration form

Date: Thursday, February 8
Time: 7:00-10:00 PM
Location: Hyatt — Franklin Room

Ohio String Teachers Association
11th Biennial
Chamber Music Competition

Otterbein University Riley Auditorium
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Apprentice and Jr Division 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Sr Division 1:00-2:00pm

Click here to download the OSTA Chamber Competition Guidelines and Application

The Ohio String Teachers Association Chamber Music Competition is open to precollege ensembles and collegiate ensembles comprised of any combination of string trio, quartet or quintet as well as mixed groups of strings with winds and/or strings with piano.  Prizewinners in each category will be selected based on live performance.  Groups will be judged by prominent chamber musicians from the region and will receive written comments on their performance.  Each participating group will also receive a certificate of participation from OSTA. Cash prizes are awarded to winning groups.

Applications for participation must be postmarked by January 15, 2018.  (A late fee of $10 per ensemble member will be charged for applications postmarked after January 15, 2018. Acceptance of applications postmarked after January 15, 2018 will be at the discretion of the competition organizers.)

DIVISIONS:

The apprentice and junior divisions are open to students who are not more than 19 years of age as of June 1, 2018 and to students whose 19th birthday occurs before June 1, 2018 and whose grade level is not higher than grade 12 during the 2017-2018 school year.

The senior division is open to ensemble members who are all currently full time students enrolled in an Ohio college.  The senior division may include members who are younger than 18 years of age.

Inquiries may be directed to:
Jim Bates, OSTA Competition Organizing Chair
jbates@otterbein.edu (email)

Congratulations to the OSTA Award Winners for 2016-2017

School Orchestra Teacher of the Year – John Riegel, Hilliard City Schools

Studio Teacher of the Year – Steve Wedell, Columbus, OH

Young Teacher of the Year – Chris Japikse, Mansfield Schools

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the competition a success.  All the performers who participated were outstanding. The judges were very inspired by the performance level of the groups. Of course the expertise of our judges – Sujean Kim, William Manley, Kevin Boden and Nat Chaitkin of 4-Way String Quartet – made the event worthwhile and meaningful for the participating performers. A big thank you to the Otterbein University students who allowed the event to run smoothly and on time. Bravi to all!

Winning Ensembles

Junior Division

Honorable Mention

DAJJ Quartet      Daniel Tai, violin; Anna Linder, violin; Julian Tugaoen, viola; Jackson Tomsic, violoncello

Junior Division

Second Prize

Decorus Trio       Daniel Woo, violin; Anna Macintosh, cello; Leon Durrenberger, piano

Junior Division

First Prize

Geneva String Quartet   Daniel Wu, violin; Kelly Gembara, violin; Elizabeth Macintosh, viola; Isaiah Wu, violoncello

Senior Division

Second Prize

Canorus Piano Trio            Youjin Na, violin; Chang H. Lee, cello; Sanghie Lee, piano

Senior Division

First Prize

Callisto Quartet                                    Paul Aguilar, violin; Rachel Stenzel, violin; Eva Kennedy, viola; Hannah Moses, violoncello