Master Classes Dr. Naomi Niskala, piano professor at Susquehanna University, will offer three Master Classes, one for each age group. Dr. Niskala has taught for over three decades, from young beginning students to high school, college, and adult students. Prior to Susquehanna, she maintained a large private studio while also teaching at the Neighborhood Music School, a community school in New Haven, CT, and continues to have a small private studio while also teaching at the Interlochen Arts Camp (MI) during the summer and co-directing the Winterhaven Chamber Music Retreat (NH), a festival for adult amateur musicians. As a teacher she is known for encouraging her students to develop their own individuality and creativeness through exploring and understanding the composer’s musical language. As a performer, she has performed throughout the United States, and in Canada, Europe, Japan, Thailand, Israel, Russia, and Kosovo. Application to be considered for one of the Master Classes can be found on the Registration Form.

Workshop: All About the Piano! Our instrument is really complex - did you know there are over 10,000 individual moving parts and components in a grand piano? This workshop will be led by piano rebuilder and tuner Tom Patten, who helps keep all our pianos at Susquehanna University in top shape. Learn how upright and grand pianos create sound, why different pianos feel and sound different, tips on how you can take care of your own piano, and if you’re thinking of purchasing a piano at some point, tips for finding what would work best for you.

Workshop: Improvising at the Piano & Stories in Music – HALLOWEEN! Join our Susquehanna Music Education majors as they lead improvising and listening workshops. K-4 ^th grade students will work on developing rhythms and beats and improvising short solos on either the piano or with fun percussion instruments. 5 ^th -8 ^th grade students will learn about how we listen to, interpret, and react to music - how the role of structure and form, tempo, dynamics, articulation, range, harmony, and tonality shape how we hear and perceive music. Since this year’s Piano Fest is close to Halloween, be ready to explore some spooky and ethereal sounds, and animal-themed pieces!

Workshop: Accompanying and Collaborative Piano Playing Learn all about collaborative piano playing and accompanying from Susquehanna University’s Collaborative Pianist, Dr. Jaime Namminga. Dr. Namminga will talk about skills piano students can acquire to be successful partners on stage – whether accompanying a choir, playing in a musical pit or part of an orchestra, or performing alongside a singer or instrumentalist. She will also give you some tips on how to improve your sight-reading skills – something that is helpful for any pianist. And ever wonder about accompanying professionally? Dr. Namminga can answer your questions and give you insights into this field!

Workshop: Practice Tips! Practicing is hard, right? Whether for a parent who is trying to help a younger child practice at home, or for older students who are working more on their own. It can be tedious, boring, frustrating, and…just HARD. So, is there a way to make practicing less tedious, more effective, and – gasp – even enjoyable? Dr. Naomi Niskala will lead this workshop and provide tips for students of all ages and levels, as well as tips for parents and teachers, so practice sessions can be more effective, more efficient, and ultimately rewarding and enjoyable. This will be a hands-on workshop, and participants are encouraged to share a passage they are currently practicing or learning.

Workshop and Q&A: Music - College and Beyond Geared towards high school students and their parents, this workshop aims to answer questions students and parents may have about piano and music studies past high school graduation. Susquehanna University students, from a variety of majors and minors, and faculty will talk about the myriad ways students can participate in and study music at college (as both a music major and as a non-music major), offer advice for college auditions, and talk about the wide variety of career paths in music and arts.

Participant Recital Students are encouraged to participate in this recital that will be held at the end of the festival. Pieces should be memorized and ready to share on stage in front of an audience. Students wanting to perform in this recital need to communicate with their teacher, and include the necessary program information requested on the Registration Form. A printed program will be created for the recital, and students should expect to attend for the full length of the recital.

8:30–9 a.m. Opening Breakfast Reception & Registration: Stretansky Concert Hall lobby

9 a.m–12 p.m. Master Classes and Workshops: Cunningham Center for Music & Art (CCMA)

12–1 p.m. Lunch: Degenstein Campus Center

1– 4 p.m. Master Classes and Workshops: CCMA

4:30–6 p.m. Piano Fest Participant Recital: Stretansky Concert Hall

• Students: $50 includes attendance to all Piano Fest events and lunch
  $10 optional Master Class application fee
• Teachers: $25* — includes attendance to all Piano Fest events
  * Teachers bringing 4 or more piano students attend for free*
• Parents: Free (up to two parents per student)
• Lunch: may be purchased by teachers or parents for $16 (lunch is included for registered students)

8:30–11:45 a.m. – Choral Ensemble Clinics
11:30 a.m. – Performance by the University Choir, Students and Faculty
12:15 p.m. – Lunch (Bring a sack lunch or boxes available for $10 each)
1:15 p.m. – Festival Rehearsal with Dr. Voorhees and Dr. Armstrong
2 p.m. – Festival Concert: United We Sing
2:30 p.m. – Adjournment and Dismissal

The 2024-25 season marks Anton Armstrong’s 35th year as Conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, making him the longest-serving conductor in the ensemble’s 112-year history. He holds the Harry R. and Thora H. Tosdal Professorship in Music at St. Olaf College and became the choir’s fourth conductor in 1990, after ten years in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he taught at Calvin University and led various choirs. Armstrong is a graduate of St. Olaf College and holds advanced degrees from the University of Illinois and Michigan State University. He also serves as Chair of the National Board of Chorus America and as a board member of The Choristers Guild.

During the 2024-25 season, Armstrong will lead choral festivals at Carnegie Hall and Orchestra Hall, in addition to guest conducting for various choirs across the country. He has frequently appeared at national and international gatherings of prestigious music organizations and has guest conducted renowned ensembles such as the Tabernacle Choir and the Houston Chamber Choir. His collaborations include performances with Bobby McFerrin and Garrison Keillor.

Armstrong has received numerous accolades, including the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching and Distinguished Alumni Awards from the American Boychoir School and Michigan State University. In 2021, he was named an Honorary Life Member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization. Most recently, in 2023, the Oregon Bach Festival established the Anton Armstrong Service Award in Choral Music to honor his 25 years of service to the Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy.

Friday, February 16:

• Seating auditions.
• Masterclasses with Susquehanna’s applied wind and percussion faculty.
• Evening performances by Susquehanna faculty, the University Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble.

Saturday, February 17:

• Full rehearsals.
• Sectional rehearsals led by SU faculty.
• Pizza party (vegetarian and gluten-free options available).

Sunday, February 18:

• Gala concert at 3 p.m. featuring performances by the Honors Band, Honors Wind Ensemble, and Honors Festival Band.
• Free admission for parents to the gala concert.

Registration fee: $70.00 (includes all activities, housing and meals from Saturday breakfast through Sunday brunch).

Housing: Participants will stay in University dormitories with University Symphonic Band members and other music students.

Step 1: Submit your online application by Friday, November 22, 2024. Application Form

Step 2: Band directors must upload recommendations and rankings by Friday, November 22, 2024. Director Recommendation Form

Step 3: Accepted students, their parents, and band directors will be notified by Monday, December 9, 2024.

Step 4: Accepted students will receive seating audition material by Friday, December 13, 2024.

Step 5: Fees and emergency contact forms are due by Friday, January 17, 2025. A link to the form will be provided later.

For any questions, contact us at bands@5675n.com or call (570) 372-4296.