NYSMTA District 6 EVALUATIONS: April 25, 2026

At Schenectady County Community College School of Music

Registration Deadline March 31, 2026

REGISTRATION LINK

ABOUT

The NYSMTA District 6 Piano Evaluations are a non-competitive audition event at which students can gain valuable preparation and performance experience, and receive valuable feedback on their performance from two qualified adjudicators. The Honors Recital will feature outstanding students selected by adjudicators.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Participating students will receive comments and evaluations from two qualified judges for their prepared repertoire and scales.

• Students will present two or three compositions of different styles. There will be no penalty for nor merit in choosing either two or three compositions. 

• Memorization is not required, but memorization is one of the evaluation criteria, and is required to be selected for the Honors Recital.

• Music chosen must be original keyboard repertoire; no transcriptions or arrangements.

• Students must provide a legal copy of the score for the adjudicators. Common domain from the internet is acceptable. Advanced students may be asked to provide two photocopies of their score in addition to the legal copy so that adjudicators can write comments directly on the score.

• This year, we are encouraging a focus on Classical music and highly recommend that one of the selections be from the Classical period. Students judged to have an outstanding performance of their Classical piece will receive a sticker on their certificate for their performance.

• The Honors Recital will be held on Saturday, May 2, to showcase the students who performed outstandingly, received top scores, and are selected by the judges. The Honors Recital piece will be the judge’s selection.

• Fees: $25 elementary, $30 intermediate, $35 advanced.

• The registration form should be completed by the teacher. Students should make their payments to their teachers, and the registration fee is required in the form of one check from the teacher for all participating students, due April 11. Please make checks payable to NYSMTA District 6 and mail to:

NYSMTA D6 Evaluation

23 Misty Meadow Way

Mechanicville, NY 12118

• Entries submitted after March 31 will incur a $10 late fee per student. Registration after April 11 will not be accepted. 

• STUDENTS FOR NON-MTNA MEMBER TEACHERS: A $10 per student fee will be added to all registration fees. 

Honors Recital on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the RPI Chapel and Cultural Center

Selected students will be notified through their private piano teacher by Thursday, April 30.

ELEMENTARY REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS

• Two or three compositions in different styles. 

• Maximum 5 minutes total playing time.

• Example repertoire: Works from method books, (Piano Adventure, Music Tree, Alfred, Bastien, etc.), works for children

• Including a Classical or Classical style composition is recommended this year. A sticker recognizing outstanding Classical performances will be presented to qualified performers. 

INTERMEDIATE REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS

• Two or three compositions representing different styles, for example: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, and Modern.   

• Maximum 10 minutes total playing time. 

• Example repertoire: Works from Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook, Little Prelude, Clementi Sonatina

• Including a Classical composition is recommended this year. A sticker recognizing outstanding Classical performances will be presented to qualified performers. 

ADVANCED REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS

• Two or three compositions representing different styles, for example: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, Modern. 

• Maximum 20 minutes total playing time. 

• Example repertoire: Bach Invention/Sinfonia; Preludes and Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier, a movement of a Beethoven/Mozart Sonata, Chopin Nocturnes, and beyond

• Including a Classical composition is recommended this year. A sticker recognizing outstanding Classical performances will be presented to qualified performers. 

SCALES (all students)

• Students will demonstrate proficiency with scales according to their level. 

• For example: (elementary) one octave & root chord, (intermediate) two octaves & I-V7-I, (advanced) four octaves with I-IV-I-V-I. Judges will accept and listen to prepared scales variations. These examples are given as a general guideline.