2022 STATE CONFERENCE
COMMISSIONED COMPOSER COMPETITION
Chairperson: JULIA KOVALEV (composercommission@njmta.com)
Every year, the NJMTA commissions a living composer to create original compositions for piano students to learn and perform in a competition. A performance of these pieces by the winners, chosen by the composer, is held in November at the NJMTA Conference to promote interest in new music by living composers.
2022 COMMISSIONED COMPOSER: Carol Comune
Julia Kovalev, Chairperson
(Third prize winners, honorable mention (HM) recipients are listed in alphabetical order according to their last names)
COMPOSER: Carol Comune
Competition Results
Cha Cha the Chameleon
Prize Student Teacher
1st Vicky G. Sun Stella Xu
2nd Danny Chen Yuhui Chloris Li
3rd Tai Wang Chiu-Tze Lin
3rd Kaya Yoo Stella Xu
HM Sophia Eby Esma Pasic-Filipovic
HM Valeria Zhang Wei-Yuh Christina Xie
Blue Aura
Prize Student Teacher
1st Zachary Jin Stella Xu
2nd Joviale Wu Esma Pasic-Filipovic
3rd Evan Bai Yuhui Chloris Li
HM Ellie Wu Wei-Yuh Christina Xie
HM Emily Wu Grace J. Yang
Impulsive
Prize Student Teacher
1st Raymond Xu Stella Xu
2nd Annabelle Chow Stella Xu
3rd Christina Wang Stella Xu
HM Kristie Chao Stella Xu
Born in My Heart…from East to West
Prize Student Teacher
1st Joie Kuan, piano/Tehya Lim, cello Chiu-Tze Lin/Hyo-Jin Lee
COMPETITION DATE: Sunday, November 6, 2022
The music of American pianist and composer, Carol Comune, dances between the serious and the light from traditional and contemporary genres, with strong influences from Impressionism, Romanticism, and her Italian heritage. Her lyricism paired with technical precision has earned her a reputation as one of today’s premiere pianists, performing extensively throughout the eastern United States, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. She has been a featured artist in Princeton at Westminster Conservatory of Music, Bristol Chapel and the Nassau Concert Series; in Boston at the New England Conservatory of Music, Gardner Museum, Art Complex at Duxbury, and Longfellow National Historic Site; in New York City at Lincoln Center and Steinway Hall; and in Palm Beach at Flagler Museum and Kravis Center.
In 1985, the multi-faceted musician, teacher, composer, recording artist and Steinway Artist, founded Elegant Entertainment & Co. (BMI). She also founded Comune Music Press in 2006 to present her music scores. Many of her compositions have been featured at numerous piano festivals, including “Suite for Sleeping Beauty” at the prestigious 30th Annual Contemporary Music for the Young, MA, and premiere performances; “Variations for Piano on O God, Our Help in Ages Past”, Steinway Hall in NYC; “The Nightingale”, based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson in Westminster Conservatory, Princeton, NJ. Ms. Comune’s compositions have been described as, “charming, bold, imaginative, colorful and exceptional”.
Her albums have received worldwide recognition with over 6 Million listeners, and over 50 Million all- time streams in 164 countries through Spotify. Since 2017, her music has been promoted by her record label from the UK, Double J Music. Her released albums, “Homage”, 2022, and “The Perfect Place to Be”, 2020 were featured on Spotify’s Classical New Releases and Editorial playlist, Classical Piano for her recordings of “Eusebius” from Schumann’s Carnaval; “Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42: Variation 14 by Rachmaninoff and “The Little Shepherd” from Debussy’s Children’s Corner. Ms. Comune’s album, “Pastiche”, 2020, and “From the Heart” featuring original piano compositions; “Classically Yours” 2018. Her music is featured on NPR, Pandora, Spotify, Apple iTunes, Amazon, and was showcased on Moving Classics TV in Munich, Germany, 2020.
Carol is a graduate of the NEC, Boston, MA (BM Piano Performance, David Hagan). Graduate studies: Piano Pedagogy, Jean Stackhouse (NEC); Composition, John Felice (NEC); and influential mentors Donald Waxman; the late concert pianist, Anthony di Bonaventura.
Carol has been a member of the Music Teachers National Association for over 33 years and has had an active private studio since 1973. Former faculty: New England Conservatory Prep School; Berklee College of Music, MA, and Palm Beach Atlantic University; Conservatory at Lynn University, FL. In 2016; 2017; 2020, Carol was honored with the Steinway Top Teacher Award. Additionally, Carol's students have been recipients of many outstanding achievements. Musical organizations include Music-fest (Rising Talents); The Royal Conservatory Exams; Golden Key; Solo Pianists at Westminster Conservatory: 1st Place and 2nd Place Winners - Weill Hall/ Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall/Kaufmann Center, NYC. Westminster Conservatory’s Annual Achievement Scholarship Competitions and Piano Concerto Competition-1st Place Winner, 2021.
More information about Carol:
2022 COMMISSIONED Repertoire
(To view a sample of each piece, click on the title.)
PIANO SOLO:
Elementary: ChaCha the Chameleon
Intermediate: Blue Aura
Advanced: Impulsive
DUO for CELLO & PIANO:
Born in My Heart … from East to West - Cello and Piano Duo (the first three pages, since the first page alone doesn’t show the level of difficulty)
In respect of copyright laws for our CCC composers, teachers should purchase separate copies for each student, or ask the parents to order the music from NJMTA themselves. Thank you for joining us in the effort to support our composers.
By participating in any NJMTA event, parents give permission to the New Jersey Music Teachers Association(NJMTA) to use photographs or videos of your child taken by NJMTA representative, with appropriate captions, in NJMTA publications, on the NJMTA website, social media and/or in the local newspapers. If you do not wish NJMTA to use your child’s photos/videos in any way, kindly notify the chairperson of the event in which your child is participating.