Archive of SDNC CAPMT Newsletters from 2024-2026

Newsletter Early Spring 2026:

Dear Members of San Diego North Chapter (CAPMT),

Welcome to our chapter newsletter of the early spring months of 2026. We have had many fine events since our last newsletter, most notably our first masterclass in a long time, in which I thoroughly enjoyed teaching 6 fine chapter pianists (see video links below if you missed it!), and our chapter hosted the Honors and Contemporary Competition for our division this year, which led to our chapter member Dana Burnett’s student Daryn Tarasewicz winning 2nd prize at the State Finals in her division of Contemporary and Yukiko Mitchell’s student Hudson Jin winning 3rd in his division of Contemporary (Congratulations to both!). Upcoming, we will have our Spring Festival on May 9, 2026 at the Mt. Soledad Presbyterian Church. We also will be opening our Senior Scholarship Application and want to alert you to the upcoming Spotlight Concert for top chapter participants and the Senior Scholarship winners, also at Mt. Soledad Presbyterian Church on June 13, 2026 in the afternoon. I always welcome your feedback as members to help us improve our operations, and can be reached anytime at this email address (sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com). If you know someone who would like to join or rejoin our chapter, please let me know so I can reach out to them.

Sean Bennett

 

 

CHAPTER NEWS:

Please offer a warm welcome our new members Taylor Foster, Nathaniel Huegel, Sarah King, Sharon Muyco, and Clara Hayashigawa! We hope to see you at an event soon.

 

MASTERCLASS RECAP

On March 7, 2026, at Point Loma Library, we held our first chapter Masterclass in quite some time. We had enthusiastic participation by 6 students and teachers and Sean Bennett taught the two-part class from 10-12pm and 12-2pm. Many interesting concepts in piano technique, interpretation and history of composers were discussed. We accepted donations and appreciate those who donated. If you’d like to donate after viewing the videos, you may do so on zelle at sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com. All donations benefit the chapter funds directly. Thank you to those who participated! We hope to have more masterclasses in the future.

10am-12pm, studio of Young Robbins

12-2pm studio of Azusa Komiyama and Miho Gary

 

 

SDNC/SDSC DISTRICT 1 HONORS COMPETITION AND CONTEMPORARY COMPETITION.

The Honors and Contemporary Competition for our District, shared between SDNC and SDSC was chaired this year by James Gary of the North Chapter, james.gary4@yahoo.com. CAPMT Competitions highlight student performance at the highest level. CAPMT Competitions are open to students up to, and including, age 26. The events occurred February 14 and February 21st and were held at Greene Music. The first prize winners then competed in the State Final at SDSU on March 14, 2026, and our chapter congratulates chapter member Dana Burnett and her student Daryn Tarasewitz for winning 2nd prize and Yukiko Mitchell’s student Hudson Jin for winning 3rd prize at the State Finals on March 14!

 

UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS

 

SPRING FESTIVAL

 The Spring Festival will occur May 9, 2026 at the Mt. Soledad Presbyterian Church in La Jolla from 1pm-5pm. Registration is now open and may be done at the link which follows, with a deadline of April 17th at 5pm.  Link to apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHO-wl_ePHx9KVgwbWYCXD3ZJAFxf-5hpYq0F3OjSLzci_Dg/viewform?usp=publish-editor. Tavner Delcamp will be the chair of the event and can be reached at tavnerdelcamp@gmail.com. We had record participation at the Winter Festival and hope to have a large participation for the Spring Festival as well, and encourage you to register your students as early as possible to ensure we have enough time in the venue to accommodate all of them.

 

SENIOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND SPOTLIGHT CONCERT

The details of the participation procedure for teachers and their students for the Spotlight Concert will be forthcoming, but save the date and venue location: June 13, 2026, 1pm-5pm at Mt. Soledad Presbyterian Church in La Jolla. However, the Senior Scholarship program is now open for applications, until the deadline of May 2, 2026. Sean Bennett, sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com, is the chair, and the event will be adjudicated by Lee Galloway. The Annual Senior Scholarship is for graduating high school seniors who wish to continue their musical education beyond high school. Up to $1200 dollars in prize money total will be offered to the winners, sponsored by the chapter.  Monetary awards as determined by the Scholarship Committee can be used for private lessons, school expenses, music books, and/or instrument supplies. The application requires videos, recommendation letter from the CAPMT chapter teacher, an essay, and a list of CAPMT and other events the entrant has participated in. Winners must be able to perform at the June 13, 2026 Spotlight Concert to receive their award. Application details may be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQll3y32cRBahaFT4m_QTx1vfosuRbawQTRXENXiSsYsQlzw/viewform?usp=dialog

 

ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

SYMPHONY TICKETS:

Periodically, the San Diego Symphony gives 2 free tickets for concerts to our chapter members. If you are interested in obtaining these wonderful concert tickets, please email Ana Grigorian for dates and availability at annagrigorianpiano@gmail.com.

 

THE ROYAL FOUNDATION OF MUSIC AND ARTS EVENTS

The Royal Music Festival 2026 

We invite talented musicians from around the world to New York City for an immersive artistic experience.

Dates: March 27–29
Locations: The Juilliard School, National Opera Center, Stella Tower
Concert Venue: Carnegie Hall – Zankel Hall (600 seats)

The festival features masterclasses and one-on-one lessons taught by Juilliard faculty and New York Philharmonic artists, culminating in a student–faculty joint concert at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall.

Apply now: https://www.theroyalmusic.org/2026festival

 

Global Philharmonic Music Competition & Festival 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 Global Philharmonic Music Competition & Festival, an international event celebrating exceptional musical talent and artistic excellence. Winners will perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall, with exclusive masterclasses, lectures, and lessons taking place at The Colburn School.

Apply Now:
https://www.globalphil.org

Competition Dates 

Distinguished Opportunities for Winners

—————————————————————

World Stage Tour Music Competition 2026

The World Stage Tour Music Competition offers musicians the rare opportunity to perform at the world’s most iconic concert venues. From legendary halls to globally recognized stages, participants showcase their artistry where history is made and excellence is celebrated.

Apply Now : https://www.worldstagetour.com

 

NON-MEMBERS

If you received this email and you are not a current member of our chapter, it most likely means you are a former member and we wish to keep you informed about our slate of events. We'd love to have you back. Reach out to sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com for details on how to rejoin or your suggestions and comments for how we can improve as a chapter!

 

THANK YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON AT AN EVENT!

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

President:  Sean Bennett

Treasurer:  Dr. Tavner Delcamp

Director: James Gary

Director: Lee Galloway

 

Prepared by Sean Bennett

 

Newsletter Late Winter 2026:

Dear Members of San Diego North Chapter (CAPMT),

Welcome to our chapter newsletter of the late winter months of 2026. We have had many fine events since our last newsletter, most notably record attendance at our Winter Festival, with almost 70 registrants and performers! Upcoming, I will be giving a masterclass by donation for the Chapter on March 7 at Point Loma Library for 6 fine pianists and all are welcome to attend 10am until 2pm (with two sessions 10am-12pm and 12pm-2pm of 3 pianists each). I always welcome your feedback as members to help us improve our operations, and can be reached anytime at this email address (sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com). If you know someone who would like to join or rejoin our chapter, please let me know so I can reach out to them. We will announce the Spring Festival, Senior Scholarship, and Spotlight Concert dates and details in the coming month or so.

Sean Bennett

CHAPTER NEWS:

CAPMT SDNC WINTER FESTIVAL

The Winter Festival was held January 31, 2026 at the Steinway Gallery in Mira Mesa and was chaired by Sean Bennett. 11 studios participated and 67 students were registered to play. About 50 were present in the audience for each of three recitals. This was a record number of performers for the Winter Festival for our chapter, so thank you for entering your students! The evaluator was Anna Grigorian, and Sean Bennett for her students. Many thanks to Rick Rice at Steinway, our board Tavner, Lee, and James for their extensive help, and for the many teachers who assisted with check-in. We hope to have a large turn out as well for our Spring Festival.

Below are a few pictures from the event.

 

UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS

 

SDNC/SDSC DISTRICT 1 HONORS COMPETITION AND CONTEMPORARY COMPETITION.

The Honors and Contemporary Competition for our District, shared between SDNC and SDSC was/is be chaired this year by James Gary of the North Chapter, james.gary4@yahoo.com. CAPMT Competitions highlight student performance at the highest level. CAPMT Competitions are open to students up to, and including, age 26. While the Contemporary Competition happened already at Greene Music on February 14, the Honors competition continues on February 21 also at Greene Music. The CAPMT State Finals will be held on March 14, 2025 at San Diego State University. We will provide a summary of the event in the next newsletter and the winners will be promptly notified for their participation in the State Finals.

 

MASTERCLASS MARCH 7: SEAN BENNETT AT POINT LOMA LIBRARY

In an effort to revive Masterclasses for our chapter and encourage broad attendance and participation, on March 7, 2026, at Point Loma Library, 3701 Voltaire St, San Diego, 92107, from 10-12 and 12-2, 6 pianists carefully selected will be coached by our President Sean Bennett. Admission is free for all, but we will accept donations which will all go to the Chapter Bank Account. We invite you and your students to attend this event, which will be supportive learning for all, and are hopeful that this is just the first of many future masterclasses for our chapter. We hope to open the future masterclasses up for audition by interested students and have other masterclass teachers as well. The event is chaired by Sean Bennett and Lee Galloway and questions may be sent to the chapter email, sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!

 

SPRING FESTIVAL

 The Spring Festival will occur in early May, and we are finalizing the location and date. Tavner Delcamp will be the chair of the event. We will make a separate announcement to the chapter as soon as this is confirmed, and the registration deadline will be a few weeks before in mid-April.

 

SENIOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND SPOTLIGHT CONCERT

The details of the Spotlight Concert and Annual Senior Scholarship are expected to be made in April. Stay tuned for more details and qualifying information.

 

ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

SYMPHONY TICKETS:

Periodically, the San Diego Symphony gives 2 free tickets for concerts to our chapter members. If you are interested in obtaining these wonderful concert tickets, please email Ana Grigorian for dates and availability at annagrigorianpiano@gmail.com.

THE ROYAL FOUNDATION OF MUSIC AND ARTS EVENTS

The Royal Music Festival 2026 

We invite talented musicians from around the world to New York City for an immersive artistic experience.

Dates: March 27–29
Locations: The Juilliard School, National Opera Center, Stella Tower
Concert Venue: Carnegie Hall – Zankel Hall (600 seats)

The festival features masterclasses and one-on-one lessons taught by Juilliard faculty and New York Philharmonic artists, culminating in a student–faculty joint concert at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall.

Apply now: https://www.theroyalmusic.org/2026festival

 

Global Philharmonic Music Competition & Festival 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 Global Philharmonic Music Competition & Festival, an international event celebrating exceptional musical talent and artistic excellence. Winners will perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall, with exclusive masterclasses, lectures, and lessons taking place at The Colburn School.

Apply Now:
https://www.globalphil.org

Competition Dates 

Distinguished Opportunities for Winners

—————————————————————

World Stage Tour Music Competition 2026

The World Stage Tour Music Competition offers musicians the rare opportunity to perform at the world’s most iconic concert venues. From legendary halls to globally recognized stages, participants showcase their artistry where history is made and excellence is celebrated.

Apply Now : https://www.worldstagetour.com

NON-MEMBERS

If you received this email and you are not a current member of our chapter, it most likely means you are a former member and we wish to keep you informed about our slate of events. We'd love to have you back. Reach out to sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com for details on how to rejoin or your suggestions and comments for how we can improve as a chapter!

 

THANK YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON AT AN EVENT!

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

President:  Sean Bennett

Treasurer:  Dr. Tavner Delcamp

Director: James Gary

Director: Lee Galloway

 

Prepared by Sean Bennett

 

 

Newsletter Early Winter 2025:

Dear Members of San Diego North Chapter (CAPMT),

Welcome to our chapter newsletter of the late fall and early winter months of 2025! As the new president, I hope to bring many fine announcements and events to our chapter and grow its participation in our festivals. I always welcome your feedback as members to help us improve our operations, and can be reached anytime at this email address (sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com). If you know someone who would like to join or rejoin our chapter, please let me know so I can reach out to them. Important things to note in this newsletter are the upcoming registration period for those who may have missed the Piano and Ensemble Festival and wish to enter virtually (November 30 deadline), registration for the State Competitions (Dec 1-16), and upcoming, registration for the January 31, 2026 Winter Festival.

Sean Bennett

CHAPTER NEWS:

CAPMT SDNC PIANO AND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL

The Piano and Ensemble Festival was held November 8, 2025 at Encinitas Library and was chaired by our former chapter president Young Robbins. 3 Studios participated and 17 students were registered to play. About 40 were present in the audience. The evaluator was Dr. Jihun Cho. 2/3 of the students received the 5/5 rating necessary to be invited to perform an evaluator-selected piece in the CAPMT Southern Festival Celebration 2026, scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the Anaheim United Methodist Church. Teachers should remind parents to complete the Celebration Registration between November 19 and December 9, with an additional registration fee of $25 per student. Further details can be found on the CAPMT website: www.capmt.org/FestivalCelebration. Many thanks to Young Robbins for her diligent organization and help with this event.

Please note if your student was unable to participate in the live auditions, they have until 11:59PM November 30 to apply to participate with a virtual audition or make-up audition. This is also the deadline for video submission. Please find details to apply at CAPMT - Piano Festivals.

Below are a few pictures from the event.

A person sitting at a piano AI-generated content may be incorrect.A group of people holding papers on a stage AI-generated content may be incorrect.A person playing a piano AI-generated content may be incorrect.A group of people sitting in chairs AI-generated content may be incorrect.

UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS

WINTER FESTIVAL

The San Diego North Chapter Winter Festival will be held the afternoon of January 31, 2026 at the Steinway Gallery in Mira Mesa. Save the date! The registration will be released closer to the event in early January and you will be informed by email. The event will be chaired by Sean Bennett. He can be reached with questions at sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com. We encourage you to enter your students at this fine venue!

SDNC/SDSC DISTRICT 1 HONORS COMPETITION AND CONTEMPORARY COMPETITION.

The Honors and Contemporary Competition for our District, shared between SDNC and SDSC will be chaired this year by James Gary of the North Chapter, james.gary4@yahoo.com. CAPMT Competitions highlight student performance at the highest level. CAPMT Competitions are open to students up to, and including, age 26. Preliminary competitions are held at the District level. Online applications will be open December 1-16, 2025. The CAPMT State Finals will be held on March 14, 2025 at San Diego State University. Please note this is a change in the date and location for the previous announcement they would be at Santa Clara University. Save the dates for the District Competition in San Diego County. They are: Contemporary Competition: Saturday, February 14th from 10am to 2pm at Greene Music and Honors Competition Saturday, February 21st from 10am to 3pm at Greene Music. Applications are submitted through the state website here: CAPMT - CAPMT Honors Competition https://www.capmt.org/Contemporary https://www.capmt.org/CAPMT-Concerto-Competition

ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

WELCOME NEW CHAPTER MEMBERS!

Please welcome Melody McGeary, NCTM to the Escondido/Poway area. She is shifting to group teaching, but has also taught individually. Her information is shared below if you are interested or know someone looking for a teacher. We look forward to welcoming her to our events and festivals.

Melody’s Piano Studio

605-939-0654

info@melodymcgeary.com

melodymcgeary.com

Please also welcome Miho Ito-Gary, who you may already know as the wife of board member James Gary to our chapter officially! She can be reached at gary.miho1@yahoo.com for piano lessons.

HENRY AND CAROL ZEITER PIANO COMPETITION AT UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC:

All high school students in California are eligible to enter except for former first prize winners and students of judges. Finalists are chosen through a process of video-recorded auditions and invited to Pacific to play in live auditions. The competition is January 17, 2026 and the deadline to apply is December 12, 2025. Details may be found at https://www.pacific.edu/music/community/zeiter-piano-competition.

BELLAGRANDE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION:

Bellagrande International Music Competition 2025, the YouTube Competition is approaching. The application (with YouTube link submission) deadline is December 6, 2025. Results will be posted on the BIMC website by December 15, 2025.

BIMC 2025 will be held for musicians, ages 7 to 18 for all instruments, voice and chamber ensemble. Here is the link to the website: https://thebimcompetition.com/

SYMPHONY TICKETS:

Periodically, the San Diego Symphony gives 2 free tickets for concerts to our chapter members. If you are interested in obtaining these wonderful concert tickets, please email Ana Grigorian for dates and availability at annagrigorianpiano@gmail.com.

THE ROYAL FOUNDATION OF MUSIC AND ARTS EVENTS

The Royal Foundation of Music and Arts Announces 2026 Season Highlights.

The Royal Foundation of Music and Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting excellence in music and the arts, is proud to present its 2026 season — featuring an exciting lineup of concerts, competitions, and educational events.

Season highlights include:

For full details on events, venues, and ticketing, please visit the Foundation’s official website: www.theroyalmusic.org. Please see the attached fliers.

We look forward to sharing Royal Music Events with you going forward, as well as community events sponsored by the La Jolla Music Society as they provide them to our chapter for inclusion in the newsletters.

 

SLATE OF SDNC CAPMT EVENTS FOR 2025-2026

We also wanted to give you a preview of the events for 2025-2026 for the chapter with the approximate timeline. Details will be forthcoming for those where venues and dates still need to be determined.

RCM Assessment program (December)

Winter Festival (January 31)

Masterclass (delayed from Dec 13 and 14 due to venue and date constraints, winter, date and venue to be determined in early 2026)

Honors Competition and Contemporary Competition (February 21 and 14, 2026)

Sonata and More (March/April)

Spring Festival (April/May)

Scholarship Auditions (April)

Spotlight Concert and Celebration (June)

 

NON-MEMBERS

If you received this email and you are not a current member of our chapter, it most likely means you are a former member and we wish to keep you informed about our slate of events. We'd love to have you back. Reach out to sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com for details on how to rejoin or your suggestions and comments for how we can improve as a chapter!

 

THANK YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON AT AN EVENT!

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

President:  Sean Bennett

Treasurer:  Dr. Tavner Delcamp

Director: James Gary

Director: Lee Galloway

 

Prepared by Sean Bennett

 

Newsletter Fall 2025:

Dear Members of San Diego North Chapter (CAPMT),

Welcome to another year of teaching, great music and camaraderie!

I just witnessed the Fall Festival with 31 students participating and it was great to see many of you there! I hope to see more of you in the coming months as we continue to move through the calendar for 2025-2026!

However, I regret to inform you that I have had to resign as your President. I am very sorry to do this, but I have some personal and technical issues that I have discovered are just too distracting to enable me to give the 100% attention that I would prefer to devote to the chapter.

In the last board meeting, I resigned at the end of the meeting and Sean Bennett became your President. Sean immediately appointed me as a Director, so I will continue to serve on the board, but in a capacity that will be easier for me to manage. I am very happy to be able to stay on the board and provide input and advice as we all look forward to bigger and better things to come!

So, no…I am not going away!

Lee Galloway

A person in a suit smiling AI-generated content may be incorrect.

 

Welcome to our first chapter newsletter of the new school year! I wish to start by saying I’ve recently accepted the role of chapter President, and further wish to thank Lee Galloway for being President in the last crucial year for our chapter. His long-time expertise as a former MTAC State President and guidance and knowledge of the chapter members has helped to revitalize and stabilize our events, activities, and relationships with our members and students. He plans to stay on the board and has accepted the role of a Director, and his advice and assistance is invaluable to us, even though he wishes to step back from the President role duties at this time. It is my hope as President to, in time, reach out to you as the teachers for your feedback and suggestions on things you believe are going well, and areas which we could improve in, and events you wish to see more of. I look forward to serving the chapter and its many fine musical events this year and to continuing to expand its offerings. I can always be reached at sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com if you have suggestions or comments. I’ll do my best to get back to each of you quickly, but please bear in mind I am also the Artistic Director at the New Music School in Chicago, and travel back and forth, as it might at times take me a few days to do so.

Sean Bennett

A person sitting at a piano

 

 

 

CHAPTER NEWS:

CAPMT SDNC FALL FESTIVAL

The CAPMT SDNC Fall Festival was held on October 5, 2025, held at Greene Music, San Diego, and was successful with 31 students participating. There were 7 teachers represented.  Angela Yun-Yin Wu was invited to be the evaluator and we thank her for her service. There was one recital at 1:30 pm and another at 3:30 pm.  Attendance was approximately 100 people for the two recitals. The Festival was chaired by James Gary, who was assisted by many volunteers. Volunteers attending and helping before and after the Festival were: Tavner Delcamp, Miho Gary, Young Robbins, Azusa Komiyama, Katie Grab, Sean Bennett, Douglas Moreton, and Yukiko Mitchell. We thank them kindly for their great assistance. Below are a few pictures from the event.

A group of children holding signs AI-generated content may be incorrect.A group of people holding certificates AI-generated content may be incorrect.A child in a white dress playing a piano AI-generated content may be incorrect.A child sitting on a chair AI-generated content may be incorrect.

 

UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS

 

CAPMT PIANO AND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL

While the registration for this event has passed, the event itself will occur Saturday, November 8, 2025 at Encinitas Library. The chair of this event is Young Robbins, and she can be reached at youngrobbinsmusic@gmail.com. More details about the event may be found at CAPMT - Piano Festivals.

WINTER FESTIVAL

The San Diego North Chapter Winter Festival will be held the afternoon of January 31, 2026 at the Steinway Gallery in Mira Mesa. Save the date! The registration will be released closer to the event. The event will be chaired by Sean Bennett. He can be reached with questions at sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com.

 

SDNC/SDSC DISTRICT 1 HONORS COMPETITION AND CONTEMPORARY COMPETITION.

The Honors and Contemporary Competition for our District, shared between SDNC and SDSC will be chaired this year by James Gary of the North Chapter, james.gary4@yahoo.com. CAPMT Competitions highlight student performance at the highest level. CAPMT Competitions are open to students up to, and including, age 26. Preliminary competitions are held at the District level. Online applications will be open December 2-16, 2024. The CAPMT State Finals will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at Santa Clara University. Save the dates for the District Competition in San Diego County. They are tentatively: Contemporary Competition: Saturday, February 14th from 10am to 2pm at Greene Music and Honors Competition Saturday, February 21st from 10am to 3pm at Greene Music. Applications are submitted through the state website here: https://www.capmt.org/Competitions

 

ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

CAPMT STATE CONFERENCE:

You are cordially invited to join us at the 2025 CAPMT State Conference: October 24-25, 2025 (Friday and Saturday) "The Music We Make, The Future We Shape" California State University, Fresno School of Music.  CAPMT 2025 State Conference, Fresno State School of Music. The event is chaired by Dr. Tracy Wong • CAPMT Vice President, Conferences and questions may be directed to her on the CAPMT website.

CONCERTO COMPETITION:

All members of SDNC are invited to enter their students in a Concerto Competition hosted by the South Chapter. Registration will be from Sept 1, 2025 until October 11, 2025, and the event will be at Greene Music on Saturday, October 25, 2025. Questions may be directed to sdsouthcapmt@gmail.com. Please see the attached flyer for additional details. Beginners are encouraged as well and upon request we can supply a document outlining the many options for "beginning concerti."

SYMPHONY TICKETS:

Periodically, the San Diego Symphony gives 2 free tickets for concerts to our chapter members. If you are interested in obtaining these wonderful concert tickets, please email Ana Grigorian for dates and availability at annagrigorianpiano@gmail.com.

THE ROYAL FOUNDATION OF MUSIC AND ARTS EVENTS

The Royal Foundation of Music and Arts Announces 2026 Season Highlights

The Royal Foundation of Music and Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting excellence in music and the arts, is proud to present its 2026 season — featuring an exciting lineup of concerts, competitions, and educational events.

Season highlights include:

For full details on events, venues, and ticketing, please visit the Foundation’s official website: www.theroyalmusic.org

We look forward to sharing Royal Music Events with you going forward, as well as community events sponsored by the Conrad in La Jolla sponsored by the La Jolla Music Society.

SLATE OF EVENTS

We also wanted to give you a preview of the events for 2025-2026 for the chapter with the approximate timeline. Details will be forthcoming for those where venues and dates still need to be determined.

Piano and Ensemble Festival (November 8)

RCM Assessment program (December)

Winter Festival (January 31)

Masterclass (winter, date and venue to be determined)

Honors Competition and Contemporary Competition (February 21 and 14)

Sonata and More (March/April)

Spring Festival (April/May)

Scholarship Auditions (April)

Spotlight Concert and Celebration (June)

 

THANK YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON AT AN EVENT!

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

President:  Sean Bennett

Treasurer:  Dr. Tavner Delcamp

Director: James Gary

Director: Lee Galloway

 

Prepared by Sean Bennett

 

 

 

NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2025

 

Dear Members of San Diego North Chapter (CAPMT),

 

Welcome to our final newsletter of the year! If you did not attend the Spotlight Celebration you missed a great event, with many very fine students performing wonderful music and a dazzling food display (Thank you Young for your organizational skills in the food department)! Make a note to attend next year’s Spotlight, as it is a great way to finish off the year with friends and colleagues.

We have a Master Class coming up soon and I hope to see many of you there! Have a great summer and please look forward to the announcements which will be coming soon for the Fall events for which you will want to be preparing your students! Thank you for your great support of this board and CAPMT and its programs! 

 

Cheers, Lee Galloway

President, CAPMT SDNC Chapter

 

A person in a suit smiling AI-generated content may be incorrect.

 

 

CHAPTER NEWS:

 

CAPMT SDNC SPRING FESTIVAL

 

The CAPMT SDNC Spring Festival was held on May 17, 2025, held at Point Loma Library, Community Room, San Diego, was successful with 14 students participating. There were 6 teachers represented.  Sean Bennett and Anna Grigorian were invited to be the evaluators. There was one recital at 1pm.  Attendance was 35 people for the recital. The Festival was chaired by Tavner Delcamp, who was assisted by James Gary emcee-ing. Volunteers attending and helping were: Tavner Delcamp, Anna Grigorian, James Gary, and Miho Gary.  Eveline Eng could not attend but she was very helpful in advance with program design and logistics prior to the event. Below are a few pictures from the event.

 

A child playing a piano AI-generated content may be incorrect.A person and person sitting at a piano AI-generated content may be incorrect.A group of people holding certificates AI-generated content may be incorrect.

 

CAPMT SDNC SPOTLIGHT AND RECOGNITION CONCERT AND SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

 

The CAPMT SDNC Spotlight Ceremony was held on May 31, 2025, at Encinitas Library on their beautiful Steinway B grand piano. Students were invited by teachers if they participated in 2 or more qualifying events with scores above 90 over the past season. Because we had extra time at the venue, teachers were allowed to recommend more than 2 students and all qualifying students were accommodated to perform. We had a total of 20 performers, and a large audience turnout. Our District Chair, Madgi Bornemisza was present, as well as our State CAPMT President, Mitzi Kolar. The event was chaired by Tavner Delcamp and he was assisted by board members Lee Galloway and James Gary.

 

Additionally, the 2 winners for the Senior Scholarship Auditions performed. We were thrilled that the selection was chaired by our former chapter President Young Robbins, and the adjudicator Mitzi Kolar decided to award two $500 scholarships to Seungbeom Baek and Matthew Moohyun Lee. Congratulations to both on their strong musical achievements and best of luck as you go on to college! Katie Kim also deserves great thanks for assisting Young Robbins in the planning and execution of this Scholarship Program.

 

We are also very appreciative of Young Robbins for her wonderful food provided to celebrate this most wonderful event. Below are a few pictures from the event.

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UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS

 

SDNC MASTERCLASS – We are looking forward to having our first chapter masterclass, taught by chapter Vice-President Sean Bennett on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Point Loma Library from 10am-2pm. The masterclass will be videotaped and a link will be available to SDNC members and teachers, as well as other CAPMT chapters following the event. We have room for 6 participants, 30 minutes each, and ask they choose pieces no longer than 8 minutes (or be prepared to possibly be stopped if the work is longer) so there is plenty of time to explore ideas and interpretations with each participant. The more intermediate students will be in the morning from 10-11:45am, a short break, and the more advanced from 12pm-1:45. We encourage you to attend for both halves, free of charge! If you would like your student to be considered for participation, please contact event co-chairs Lee Galloway and Sean Bennett at sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com with the name of the student, what they wish to play, and how long the piece is no later than Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 5pm. If we are unable to accommodate your student this time, fear not, our plan is to make masterclasses a regular feature in future seasons of SDNC.

 

ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

CAPMT STATE CONFERENCE: You are cordially invited to join us at the 2025 CAPMT State Conference: October 24-25, 2025 (Friday and Saturday) "The Music We Make, The Future We Shape" California State University, Fresno School of Music. Session Proposals are due by Monday, June 23rd, at 11:59 PM and may be submitted at the following link: CAPMT 2025 State Conference, Fresno State School of Music. The event is chaired by Dr. Tracy Wong • CAPMT Vice President, Conferences and questions may be directed to her on the CAPMT website.

 

CONCERTO COMPETITION: All members of SDNC are invited to enter their students in a Concerto Competition hosted by the South Chapter. Registration will be from Sept 1, 2025 until October 11, 2025, and the event will be at Greene Music on October 25, 2025. Questions may be directed to sdsouthcapmt@gmail.com. Please see the attached flyer for additional details. Beginners are encouraged as well and upon request we can supply a document outlining the many options for "beginning concerti."

 

KJOS MUSIC EVENTS:  Kjos Music is partnering with Greene Music to provide a free piano teacher workshop featuring Keith Snell on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 at Greene Music 9:30-11:30 am.  RSVP to David at 854-222-9825. There will also be a Complimentary Bastien Piano Workshop October 8th! Please refer to the attached flyer for more details.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

President:  Lee Galloway

Vice President:  Sean Bennett

Treasurer:  Dr. Tavner Delcamp

Director: James Gary

 

Prepared by Sean Bennett

 

 

NEWSLETTER SPRING 2025

 

Dear Members of the CAPMT San Diego North Chapter:

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Greetings!  I am pleased to announce that your board is settling into a great “rhythm” of coordination!  And recently, I enjoyed the Winter Festival, which had a great turnout and some great student performances! It was so great to see so many of you there! Even if you don’t enter students, consider coming to one of our events to enjoy some great music and great camaraderie! You can volunteer to help, or just come, enjoy the music and say “Hi!” Check out the coming events listed in this newsletter. I look forward to seeing YOU!

Cheers, Lee Galloway

President, CAPMT SDNC Chapter

 

CHAPTER NEWS:

CAPMT SDNC WINTER FESTIVAL

The CAPMT SDNC Winter Festival on February 16, 2025, held at Steinway Recital Hall, Mira Mesa, San Diego, was successful with 37 students participating. There were 10 teachers represented, which means about 20% of our membership.  Lee Galloway was invited to be the evaluator. There were two recitals, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.  Attendance was 65 people for the first recital, and 53 for the second recital. The Festival was chaired by Sean Bennett, who also emceed both recitals. Volunteers attending and helping were: Tavner Delcamp, Anna Grigorian, James Gary, Miho Gary, and Young Robbins.  Eveline Eng could not attend due to her evaluation commitments.  However, she was very helpful in advance with program design and logistics prior to the event. 

 

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CAPMT STATE SOUTHERN FESTIVAL CELEBRATION

Congratulations to five students of Young Robbins, who participated in the State Southern Festival Celebration on January 18, at the LA Harbor College.

 

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DISTRICT 1 HONORS AND CONTEMPORARY COMPETITIONS

Congratulations to members and their students who participated in the District 1 Honors and Contemporary Competitions on February 22nd!

District 1 Honors Competition Results:

Category A:  First Place:  Addison Keehr; Teacher:  Anna Grigorian

Category B:  Second Place:  Gwen Narvasa; Teacher:  Katie Kim        

                  Honorable Mention:  Chen Deng; Teacher:  Yaoqi Shen

 

Category C:  First Place:  Steven Chen; Teacher:  Rinna Livshin

                  Second Place:  Aaron Ye; Teacher:  Irina Bendetsky

                  Third Place:  Daryn Tarasewicz; Teacher:  Dana Burnett

                  Honorable Mention:  Joanne Xie; Teacher:  Rinna Livshin

 

District 1 Contemporary Competition Results:

Category A:  First Place:  Olivia Chen; Teacher:  Anna Stal

Category B:  Honorable Mention:  Neal Kong; Teacher:  James Gary

 Honorable Mention:  Samuel Jacuzzi; Teacher:  Young Robbins

 

Category C:  First Place:  Lucas Chen; Teacher:  Rinna Livshin

                  Honorable Mention:  Victor Reverdatto; Teacher:  Elena Edgar

 

ARTICLE IN CALIFORNIA MUSIC TEACHER MAGAZINE

 

Long-time member and teacher in our chapter Anna Grigorian recently had an article published in California Music Teacher Magazine. We have attached this to this newsletter. Congratulations Anna!

 

UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS

SDNC SPRING FESTIVAL – Saturday, May 17, 2025 – 1:00PM-5:00PM – Point Loma Library, San Diego, CA – Tavner Delcamp – Chair.   If you have entered your students, your helping hands are strongly encouraged for this event. Application deadline, Friday, May 2, 2025. Applications may be submitted at the following link, which contains all the relevant information about the rules and regulations of the Festival. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekP__uEM3FomHMONk76IS8tpZ7vOo6eEdAErrZp8nedMPApQ/viewform?usp=header

 

SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS – Application deadline, Sunday April 27, 2025 11:59PM. This event will be chaired by chapter member and former chapter president, Young Robbins, youngrobbinsmusic@gmail.com. The prizes are $500 for 1st prize, $350 for 2nd prize, and $200 for 3rd prize. The application will require video link submission to a private but shareable Youtube video, a Google drive upload link, or a Dropbox upload link of a video of the student playing at least two pieces up to 15 minutes and an application fee of $40. Memorization is expected in the videos. The application will also require a recommendation letter from a teacher and a personal statement/essay from the student applicant. An adjudicator the board appoints will select the winners. Application form may be found at this link, along with the detailed guidelines and requirements to enter: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVmL_gPOC4765KVuVjHOrXUgA2ywLkXQdxRUoQfWuyCNKmeQ/viewform?usp=header 

Audition winners are expected to play at the SDNC Spotlight and Recognition Concert on May 31, 2025.

SDNC SPOTLIGHT AND RECOGNITION CONCERT– Saturday, May 31, 2025 – 1:00PM-5:00PM - Encinitas Library - Tavner Delcamp - Chair:  All students who participated in at least two SDNC/CAPMT/MTAC/RCM events/exams, with recommendation from teachers, if performed by memory (except certain RCM programs Prep A – Level 8), will be eligible to perform at this wonderful event. Please see the link near the top of www.sdnorthcapmt.org website for more information on student qualifications for the SDNC Spotlight Concert and Recognition Program. Invitations will be sent to your teacher if you qualify for the event.  Memorization is expected.

SDNC MASTERCLASS – We are looking forward to having our first masterclass in the spring or early summer. We are coordinating with the South Chapter to copy their format after their successful recent masterclass at the Point Loma Library. Details will be forthcoming.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Welcome our newest member, Hiroko Yoshinaga!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

President:  Lee Galloway

Vice President:  Sean Bennett

Treasurer:  Dr. Tavner Delcamp

Membership Secretary:  Dr. Eveline Wong Eng

Director: James Gary

 

Newsletter prepared by Dr. Eveline Wong Eng and Sean Bennett

 

 

 

NEWSLETTER EARLY WINTER 2024

 

Dear Members of San Diego North Chapter (CAPMT),

Welcome to our early Winter Newsletter! We have had two successful events so far, the Fall Festival at Greene Music with 57 students participating, and the Piano and Ensemble Festival at Carmel Valley Library with 12 participants. See the end of this newsletter for the details on some very successful recent events!

Here is a note from our President, Lee Galloway:

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“Greetings CAPMT members! As you can see from this newsletter detailing our successful recent events and outlining exciting options coming up...we are on a roll!

Be sure to read through the whole newsletter to discover the perfect opportunities for you and your students!

I look forward to seeing you at one of our events soon!”

Lee

First a few matters of business:

1)      We have a new email address for the chapter, it is sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com. All correspondence regarding the chapter and its events and your questions should be sent here, the old email address is no longer functioning.

2)      We have a new website which may be found here: www.sdnorthcapmt.org. Please note the old website is no longer the correct one but may still be active online, leading to confusion. www.sdnorthcapmt.org is the only official website for the North Chapter.

3) Anna Grigorian has graciously arranged a limited number of tickets for San Diego Symphony concerts, on a first-come, first-served basis to chapter students (and a guardian) (subject to availability). This includes the upcoming performance of Inon Bartanan of Shostakovich Piano Concerti Dec 7 at 7:30 PM at the renovated Jacobs Music Center downtown San Diego. Please contact her at annagrigorianpiano@gmail.com if you would like tickets (maximum 2) by December 3, 2025. She can inform you as well of additional tickets for future concerts, as available.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND EVENTS

ONE

Our next official event of the season is the Winter Festival.

The Winter Festival application window is now open and will close on Feb 2, 2025. The event will be held February 16, 2025 1pm-5pm at the Steinway Gallery in San Diego in Mira Mesa. Here is the link to register: Register for Winter Festival

Please read the guidelines carefully as they have been updated. Direct any questions to the chair Sean Bennett at sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com . We have adjusted the form to fill out so each teacher may enter multiple students on one form.

Please find Parental and Adult Consent Forms here: 

Parental Consent Form: California Association of Professional Music Teachers San Diego North Chapter- Parent Consent Waiver (google.com)

Adult Consent Form: California Association of Professional Music Teachers San Diego North Chapter- Adult Student Consent Waiver (google.com)

These need to be filled out again by a parent or guardian unless you have done so already this year, and unless the applicant is 18 or over (in which case they need to fill out the adult consent form), as we do this once a year for our records and as required by CAPMT.

Please note, if you have entered your students, you are required to assist in some way, ideally by assisting at the event, however there are also other ways to assist if you are unavailable, please inquire.

TWO

Below, please find a quick and easy additional Events-At-A-Glance for our programs planned so far upcoming. If you have entered your students, your helping hands are strongly encouraged for the events!

December 2-16, 2024 is the Honors Competition registration period. The District competition date is February 22, 2025 and the State Finals will be March 22, 2025. Please note the organization for this is run by the South San Diego Chapter this year (we alternate years). Link for information and rules: CAPMT District 1 Honors Competition and Contemporary Competition

February 16, 2025 1PM-5PM. Winter Festival: Steinway Recital Hall, Mira Mesa, San Diego. Applications are open now at the link above.

Masterclasses: forthcoming we plan to offer masterclasses to chapter teachers, students, and other interested parties. Stay tuned!

Spring Festival Date TBD (Usually late April or early May)

THREE

SDNC Spotlight Concert: All students who participate in at least two SDNC/CAPMT/qualifying MTAC/RCM events with recommendation from teachers, if performed by memory (except certain RCM programs Prep A – Level 8), will be eligible to perform at this wonderful event to be held in June. Please see the link near the top of www.sdnorthcapmt.org for more information on the Spotlight Concert.

FOUR

SUMMARY OF RECENT EVENTS

A successful Fall Festival occurred on November 3, 2024 at Greene Music in Mira Mesa. The event was chaired by James Gary, and many teachers assisted with the organization, and we are grateful to them for this help, including, Elena Edgar, Katie Kim, Yukiko Mitchell and Young Robbins, as well as James’ wife Miho. 57 Students participated in 3 recitals, and the audience was full to capacity for each! Each student performed on a beautiful Yamaha CFX concert grand, and each received evaluations from adjudicator Sean Bennett. Teachers Elena Edgar, James Gary, Anna Stal, Dana Burnett, Yukiko Mithcell, Katie Kim, Young Robbins, and Eunie Ahn each had students in the event. At the conclusion, pictures of each group of recital participants was taken after each student was awarded a certificate and participation trophy. Special thanks to Greene Music for hosting the event, and to Tavner Delcamp and Dr. Eveline Eng for their assistance in organizing the participants into programs, and printing and distributing them. All teachers received evaluations by email on November 7th. We hope the Winter Festival will be as vibrant and has as much quality music making as the Fall Festival.

November 16, 2024, the Piano and Ensemble Festival occurred at the Carmel Valley Library with 12 participants. This annual event is a CAPMT sponsored event and was chaired by Tavner Delcamp. The adjudicator was Tim Broadway who provided written feedback for each student's performance. Each student received a certificate of participation and a participation trophy. Students who received a score of 5 will have the opportunity to participate in the CAPMT Festival Celebration that will take place on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at the Los Angeles Harbor College.  We are thankful to the Carmel Valley Library for continuing to host our events on their nice Kawai Grand piano.

Here are a few photos from the recent successful events!

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Thank you and we look forward to many more fine music programs this year!

Prepared by Sean Bennett, Vice President, CAPMT SDNC. 

 

 

 

NEWSLETTER FALL 2024

 

Dear Members of San Diego North Chapter (CAPMT),

Fall is almost here, and as is our first newsletter of the year. Please read through this carefully as there have been some changes from previous years. First, a message from our new President, Lee Galloway:

Welcome members of the SDNC Chapter! I am excited to announce that your board for 2024-2025 is looking forward to a great year of positive energy and camaraderie! Our board meetings have been exciting and uplifting with an enthusiastic spirit of volunteerism. I am so impressed with the positive energy that I see as we put together a great year ahead for our members. We look forward to seeing you at events and encourage members to be a part of our team by volunteering to assist at events. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Lee

 

Now onto a few matters of business:

1)   We have a new email address for the chapter, it is sdnorthcapmt@gmail.com. All correspondence regarding the chapter and its events and your questions should be sent here, the old email address is no longer functioning.

2)   We have a new website which may be found here: www.sdnorthcapmt.org. Please note the old website is no longer available.

3)   In short time, Eveline Eng will relaunch the “Find a Teacher” feature on our website and this tool and link will be communicated to members by email.

 

We have a new Board of Directors,

Lee Galloway: President

Sean Bennett: Vice President

Tavner Delcamp: Treasurer

Eveline Eng: Membership Secretary

James Gary: Director

 

1.   Our first chapter event of the season is the Fall Festival.

The Fall Festival application window is now open and will close on Oct 27, 2024. The event will be held November 3, 2024 10am-2:30pm at Greene Music in San Diego. Here is the link to register: Register For Fall Festival

Please read the guidelines carefully as they have been updated. We will be introducing “Compliment Cards” from the audience for the benefit of encouraging the young performers as is done in some other chapters and will ask teachers to help us select from memorized performers for the Spotlight Concert. Direct any questions to the chair James Gary at james.gary4@yahoo.com.

Please find Parental and Adult Consent Forms here: 

Parental Consent Form: California Association of Professional Music Teachers San Diego North Chapter- Parent Consent Waiver (google.com)

Adult Consent Form: California Association of Professional Music Teachers San Diego North Chapter- Adult Student Consent Waiver (google.com)

These need to be filled out again by a parent or guardian, unless the applicant is 18 or over (in which case they need to fill out the adult consent form), as we do this once a year for our records and as required by CAPMT.

 

2. Below, please find a quick and easy additional Events-At-A-Glance for our programs planned so far for this year. If you have entered your students, your helping hands are strongly encouraged for the events!

October 27, 2024. The San Diego South Chapter has graciously invited ready North Chapter musicians to their Young Artists Competition! 1 PM – 5 PM. Location: Steinway Piano Gallery San Diego. 9222 Miramar Rd, 92126. The registration Window: October 1 - October 13, 2024. Please register after October 1, as the South Chapter wants to make sure there is enough space available for South Members. Event Chair: Sonya Schumann. Download the YAC flyer here. The information about the YAC may be found here. Registration is handled through the South Chapter Website at www.sdsouthcapmt.org. 

November 3. 2024. Fall Festival at Greene Music 10am-2:30pm. Please see description above.

November 16, 2024 is the Piano and Ensemble Festival at Carmel Valley Library. October 5, 2024 registration deadline. Piano festival link: CAPMT - Piano Festivals Ensemble festival link: Ensemble Auditions (capmt.org). General information about the Festival may be found at Northern & Southern Festivals (capmt.org). Please note that teachers of entered students are required by CAPMT State Regulations to volunteer to assist with the state-level events.

December 2-16, 2024 is the Honors Competition. The District competition date is TBD in February 2025. Link for information and to apply: CAPMT District 1 Honors Competition and Contemporary Competition

February 16, 2025 1PM-5PM. Winter Festival: Steinway Recital Hall, Mira Mesa, San Diego. Details forthcoming.

Spring Festival Date TBD (Usually late April or early May)

CAPMT SDNC Masterclass TBD in 2025, Steinway Gallery, Mira Mesa

3. If your students are involved in the Royal College of Music Assessment program, the Practical is December 7 and 8, 2024. Theory is December 13 and 14, 2024. Registration Window: September 4 – October 16, 2024.  Please find information about the winter assessment dates and procedures here: RCM Winter Assessments

4. Spotlight Awards Concert: All students who participate in at least two SDNC/CAPMT/qualifying MTAC/RCM events with recommendation from teachers, if performed by memory (except certain RCM programs Prep A – Level 8), will be eligible to perform at this wonderful event to be held in June.