Members in the News
Two Foundation Fellows Revealed at the 2018 Conference
Joanne Smith
Donald Waxman
Joanne Smith
- Professor Emerita from University of Michigan
- She founded and directed the Piano Pedagogy Laboratory Program there
- She developed graduate degree programs in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Michigan that were selected by the National Association of Schools of Music as one of four models of pedagogy curriculum
- She taught 18 summers at Interlochen Music Camp
- Also taught at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, University of Toledo, and Bowling Green State University
- She successfully advocated for the addition of a school of music at Florida Gulf Coast University, where she joined as faculty member in the early 2000’s
- She served as President of Michigan MTA and on the Executive Board of FSMTA
- She was selected MTNA Teacher of the Year in 2002
- She started the Steinway Piano Competition in Southwest Florida, where she has also served on Boards of the Southwest Florida Symphony, the Steinway Society, and the Naples Music Club
- Since 1979 has attended every MTNA Conference except one
- Edits and consults for FJH Publishers
Donald Waxman
- Graduate of the Peabody Institute and the Juilliard School of Music; his teacher at Peabody was Elliott Carter
- Received Guggenheim Fellowship to study in Paris, the Delius Prize for chamber music, and the gold medal at the Kang Nung (Korea) Music Festival
- Winner of the RCA Composition Prize and two-time winner of the Gustav Klemm Composition Prize
- Composer of chamber, choral, symphonic music, and piano pedagogical works
- Music performed by Houston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, National Gallery Orchestra, among many others.
- Composer-in-residence for Lynn University Conservatory’s New Music Festival in 2013
- Chosen for Composer of the Year by New York, California, and Florida as part of MTNA Commissioned Composers Program (FSMTA commissioned him in 1997; the commissioned work was Variations on a Waltz of Diabelli for clarinet, cello, and piano).
- The late Robert Silverman said “Donald Waxman’s contribution to the piano teaching literature is without equal among today’s pedagogical composers for its originality and its fresh harmonic and rhythmic language.”
- His teaching literature has been called “an American Microkosmos.”
- His teaching pieces encompass all levels and include recital pieces, etudes, piano duets, and other ensemble pieces.
- In his own words, Donald explains “I wanted young students to be working in a language more varied than that of so many piano method books. I wanted students to be playing and hearing music written in a wide variety of intervals, modes, and tonal and chromatic combinations that go beyond the extreme limitations of music based primarily on triads.”
FSMTA Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award - 2015
Helen Morrison FSMTA Distinguished Teacher of the Year Recipient for 2015
Helen Morrison received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Xavier University in Louisiana in 1951. She spent the next 39 years working as a music educator in the public schools where she held the positions of Choral Director, Band and Orchestra Director, General Music Instructor, Music Specialist and General Classroom Teacher while working with students from kindergarten through college. From 1957-1992 she also served as the organist and choir director at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church. She has sung with the “Spiritual Renaissance Singers” and the USF Community Chorus. She has been a member of MENC, the National Guild of Piano Teachers, the Friday Morning Musicale, the Florida Music Educators Association, the Hillsborough Co. Teachers Association, the Hillsborough Co. Secondary Music Council and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Helen is currently director and teacher for Morrison Piano Studio, a thriving piano studio that she established in her home in 1976 where she teaches both private lessons and group instruction. She returned to school when her children were older, and in 1980 she graduated with her Masters of Music in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of South Florida where she served as a graduate assistant in class piano and music theory. Helen has also taught and led group piano classes at Patel Conservatory and at Piano Distributors. Helen was always ready to attend a workshop or seminar to learn something new, and she was one of the first teachers in the area to embrace the use of technology in music education. She broadened her student’s musical horizons by expanding her studio to include multiple keyboards for group teaching, playing with background accompaniments, recording, and performing orchestrated ensemble music. Her students also had the advantage of learning musical concepts and theory with computer-based games and activities. At an age when many teachers would have been thinking about retiring, Helen was attending technology workshops to learn as much as she could about how to effectively use these new tools.
Helen was a charter member of Mid-State Music Teachers Association when it was founded in 1974, and she was honored at their 40th anniversary banquet in 2014 for her long years of service to Mid-State. She has held every local office including president, chaired many committees and entered students in Student Days, recitals and competitions. She was Mid-State’s Student Day chair for several years, and she also has been active as an adjudicator for FSMTA Student Activities. She has conducted many workshops through the years on such varied topics as gospel music, jazz, studio management and Student Day preparation. In 1980 she served as co-chair of the FSMTA state conference in Tampa. In 1984 Helen received both her state certification from FSMTA and her national certification from MTNA, and she served FSMTA as district certification chair for several years. Helen also served FSMTA as editor of the newsletter. In 1999 two of her students won the FSMTA Pre-College Byrd Piano Ensemble Competition. Because of her many years of extraordinary service to Mid-State, she became Mid-State’s first and, and so far only, honorary member.
Helen has selflessly spent countless hours in the community volunteering her time to teach music to many students who did not otherwise have the finances or the opportunity, giving the gift of music to many low income and disadvantaged youths. She was Mid-State’s first teacher who was involved in the MusicLink scholarship program, and she encouraged others in the association to become involved in this endeavor. One year Helen created a program at a local library to teach beginning piano classes to underprivileged children who lived at a nearby housing project. She involved the family by insisting that a parent attend with the child. Helen arranged to have keyboards donated, and a local music store shared the cost of the music with her, so children without access to a piano at home were able to explore music making on the piano without incurring any cost. Another time Helen volunteered to teach several of a family’s 12 foster children, most of whom had special needs, at no charge, and she even drove over 50 miles each week to continue teaching them after they moved to another town. Since Helen goes about her service in a quiet and humble way, these are likely just a few examples of the many ways that Helen has been a light in her community and has spread her love of music to generations of students.
Here are some comments that Mid-State teachers put in their letters of recommendation for Helen, “Helen represents the epitome of what a great music teacher should be….Helen has always taught with the highest standards and ideals. Not only are her piano students well-prepared, but they are well-mannered and well-dressed. I have greatly admired her as a mentor and colleague…She is always there to share ideas, encourage and offer advice, put things in perspective, or just listen and commiserate… Helen Morrison is a giving, caring teacher and a very special lady.” Helen has been an inspiration to all of those in Mid-State, and she is most deserving of this year’s FSMTA Distinguished Teacher award.
Helen Morrison FSMTA Distinguished Teacher of the Year Recipient for 2015
Helen Morrison received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Xavier University in Louisiana in 1951. She spent the next 39 years working as a music educator in the public schools where she held the positions of Choral Director, Band and Orchestra Director, General Music Instructor, Music Specialist and General Classroom Teacher while working with students from kindergarten through college. From 1957-1992 she also served as the organist and choir director at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church. She has sung with the “Spiritual Renaissance Singers” and the USF Community Chorus. She has been a member of MENC, the National Guild of Piano Teachers, the Friday Morning Musicale, the Florida Music Educators Association, the Hillsborough Co. Teachers Association, the Hillsborough Co. Secondary Music Council and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Helen is currently director and teacher for Morrison Piano Studio, a thriving piano studio that she established in her home in 1976 where she teaches both private lessons and group instruction. She returned to school when her children were older, and in 1980 she graduated with her Masters of Music in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of South Florida where she served as a graduate assistant in class piano and music theory. Helen has also taught and led group piano classes at Patel Conservatory and at Piano Distributors. Helen was always ready to attend a workshop or seminar to learn something new, and she was one of the first teachers in the area to embrace the use of technology in music education. She broadened her student’s musical horizons by expanding her studio to include multiple keyboards for group teaching, playing with background accompaniments, recording, and performing orchestrated ensemble music. Her students also had the advantage of learning musical concepts and theory with computer-based games and activities. At an age when many teachers would have been thinking about retiring, Helen was attending technology workshops to learn as much as she could about how to effectively use these new tools.
Helen was a charter member of Mid-State Music Teachers Association when it was founded in 1974, and she was honored at their 40th anniversary banquet in 2014 for her long years of service to Mid-State. She has held every local office including president, chaired many committees and entered students in Student Days, recitals and competitions. She was Mid-State’s Student Day chair for several years, and she also has been active as an adjudicator for FSMTA Student Activities. She has conducted many workshops through the years on such varied topics as gospel music, jazz, studio management and Student Day preparation. In 1980 she served as co-chair of the FSMTA state conference in Tampa. In 1984 Helen received both her state certification from FSMTA and her national certification from MTNA, and she served FSMTA as district certification chair for several years. Helen also served FSMTA as editor of the newsletter. In 1999 two of her students won the FSMTA Pre-College Byrd Piano Ensemble Competition. Because of her many years of extraordinary service to Mid-State, she became Mid-State’s first and, and so far only, honorary member.
Helen has selflessly spent countless hours in the community volunteering her time to teach music to many students who did not otherwise have the finances or the opportunity, giving the gift of music to many low income and disadvantaged youths. She was Mid-State’s first teacher who was involved in the MusicLink scholarship program, and she encouraged others in the association to become involved in this endeavor. One year Helen created a program at a local library to teach beginning piano classes to underprivileged children who lived at a nearby housing project. She involved the family by insisting that a parent attend with the child. Helen arranged to have keyboards donated, and a local music store shared the cost of the music with her, so children without access to a piano at home were able to explore music making on the piano without incurring any cost. Another time Helen volunteered to teach several of a family’s 12 foster children, most of whom had special needs, at no charge, and she even drove over 50 miles each week to continue teaching them after they moved to another town. Since Helen goes about her service in a quiet and humble way, these are likely just a few examples of the many ways that Helen has been a light in her community and has spread her love of music to generations of students.
Here are some comments that Mid-State teachers put in their letters of recommendation for Helen, “Helen represents the epitome of what a great music teacher should be….Helen has always taught with the highest standards and ideals. Not only are her piano students well-prepared, but they are well-mannered and well-dressed. I have greatly admired her as a mentor and colleague…She is always there to share ideas, encourage and offer advice, put things in perspective, or just listen and commiserate… Helen Morrison is a giving, caring teacher and a very special lady.” Helen has been an inspiration to all of those in Mid-State, and she is most deserving of this year’s FSMTA Distinguished Teacher award.
FSMTA Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award - 2014
FSMTA is proud to present the 2014 winner of the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, Helen Bovbjerg Niedung.
Helen Niedung, soprano, of Danish heritage, was born in Washington, D.C. Her formal musical training began at the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore, Maryland; and continued at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and the prestigious Performer’s Certificate in Voice. She was a student of Julius Huehn, former Metropolitan Opera baritone. With a German Academic Exchange Scholarship, she did post graduate studies at the Music Conservatory in Stuttgart and this led to her first two-year engagement as a leading lyric soprano with the opera company in Ulm. Since then, she has sung over 460 performances of 35 roles in many opera houses throughout Germany, Denmark and the USA.
Her many honors include two Rocekfeller grants for study in Germany with the renowned Kammersaengerin Clara Ebers in Hamburg and Kammersaenger Karl Schmitt-Walter in Munich, and a grant to study with Maestro Luigi Ricci for a summer in Rome, Italy. She was also a winner of the International Voice Competition in Toulouse, France, and the soprano winner of the first New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Oratorio Soloists Competition.
In addition to opera and operetta, she has sung numerous concerts and recitals in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy and in the US, including appearances with the Chicago Symphony, Eastman-Rochester Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, Capitol Hill Chamber Orchestra, New Orleans Philharmonic, Chattanooga Symphony, Naples-Marco Philharmonic, Southwest Florida Symphony, Philharmonica Hungarica, Hamburger Sinfoniker and Tivoli Concert Orchestra in Copenhagen, under such celebrated conductors as Howard Hanson, Gabor Oetvoes, Walter Hendl, Philippe Entremont, to mention a few. Her many performances in the field of oratorio cover a large repertoire ranging from Bach to Verdi.
After the death of her German-born husband, Mrs. Niedung and her children, Konstanze and Kirsten, moved to Cape Coral, Florida, where her parents lived. Following many fruitful years of singing abroad, she came “home” to further pursue her musical career-still returning to Europe for concerts as often as her schedule permitted. She has been Professor of Voice at Edison State College, since 1980, as well as being Director of Music at the Edison Congregational Church in Ft. Myers and maintaining a private Studio of Voice.
She earned the Florida State Music Teachers Association Certification as a Teacher of Voice in 2003, and the Music Teachers National Association Certification as a Teacher of Voice in 2004. In 2008, Helen received the Florida State Music Teachers Association’s highest honor: the “Excellence in Teaching Award.” She has had countless student winners in various vocal competitions through the years.
FSMTA is proud to present the 2014 winner of the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, Helen Bovbjerg Niedung.
Helen Niedung, soprano, of Danish heritage, was born in Washington, D.C. Her formal musical training began at the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore, Maryland; and continued at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and the prestigious Performer’s Certificate in Voice. She was a student of Julius Huehn, former Metropolitan Opera baritone. With a German Academic Exchange Scholarship, she did post graduate studies at the Music Conservatory in Stuttgart and this led to her first two-year engagement as a leading lyric soprano with the opera company in Ulm. Since then, she has sung over 460 performances of 35 roles in many opera houses throughout Germany, Denmark and the USA.
Her many honors include two Rocekfeller grants for study in Germany with the renowned Kammersaengerin Clara Ebers in Hamburg and Kammersaenger Karl Schmitt-Walter in Munich, and a grant to study with Maestro Luigi Ricci for a summer in Rome, Italy. She was also a winner of the International Voice Competition in Toulouse, France, and the soprano winner of the first New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Oratorio Soloists Competition.
In addition to opera and operetta, she has sung numerous concerts and recitals in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy and in the US, including appearances with the Chicago Symphony, Eastman-Rochester Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, Capitol Hill Chamber Orchestra, New Orleans Philharmonic, Chattanooga Symphony, Naples-Marco Philharmonic, Southwest Florida Symphony, Philharmonica Hungarica, Hamburger Sinfoniker and Tivoli Concert Orchestra in Copenhagen, under such celebrated conductors as Howard Hanson, Gabor Oetvoes, Walter Hendl, Philippe Entremont, to mention a few. Her many performances in the field of oratorio cover a large repertoire ranging from Bach to Verdi.
After the death of her German-born husband, Mrs. Niedung and her children, Konstanze and Kirsten, moved to Cape Coral, Florida, where her parents lived. Following many fruitful years of singing abroad, she came “home” to further pursue her musical career-still returning to Europe for concerts as often as her schedule permitted. She has been Professor of Voice at Edison State College, since 1980, as well as being Director of Music at the Edison Congregational Church in Ft. Myers and maintaining a private Studio of Voice.
She earned the Florida State Music Teachers Association Certification as a Teacher of Voice in 2003, and the Music Teachers National Association Certification as a Teacher of Voice in 2004. In 2008, Helen received the Florida State Music Teachers Association’s highest honor: the “Excellence in Teaching Award.” She has had countless student winners in various vocal competitions through the years.
Marc Hebda FSMTA 2014 Florida Fellow
Marc J. Hebda was selected by the FSMTA Executive Board to be the FSMTA Florida Fellow for 2014. The MTNA Foundation Fellow program offers a meaningful method for honoring deserving individual members while supporting the efforts of the MTNA Foundation Fund and the various programs that this fund supports. Marc will be officially honored during the banquet at the MTNA Conference in Chicago on March 24.
After pre-college studies at the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, Marc J. Hebda earned a B.M. in piano performance from Butler University, an M.M. in piano performance from Bowling Green State University, and an ARCM from the Royal College of Music, London, England. Notable teachers include John Browning, Jerome Rose, Benjamin Kaplan and Carola Grindea with additional postgraduate studies at FSU with Leonard Mastrogiacomo, while also teaching piano and music theory at the university. Marc is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Pi Kappa Lambda. Marc has served as a church pianist and organist and has collaborated with numerous vocalists, instrumentalists and choirs over the span of his career.
Marc has maintained a private piano studio at Main Street Music, Inc., in Tallahassee, since 1987 where he is also currently the company’s chief financial administrator. Marc is a frequent adjudicator for piano festivals and competitions, including the FSMTA District Student Day, District Concerto Competition and state competitions, as well as the National Guild of Piano Teachers and the Florida Federation of Music Clubs.
Marc has been an MTNA member since 1987. A Past President of Tallahassee MTA, Marc served FSMTA for seven years as Vice President for Membership, two years as Vice President for District and Local Associations, Parliamentarian, 2007 MTNA Southern Division Adjudicator Chair, 2009 FSMTA Conference Chair, FSMTA President, and FSMTF President. Currently, Marc is serving FSMTA as the 2014 FSMTA Conference Chair, MTNA as Southern Division Director-Elect, and will be installed as a MTNA Director in March, 2013, for a two-year term.
Marc J. Hebda was selected by the FSMTA Executive Board to be the FSMTA Florida Fellow for 2014. The MTNA Foundation Fellow program offers a meaningful method for honoring deserving individual members while supporting the efforts of the MTNA Foundation Fund and the various programs that this fund supports. Marc will be officially honored during the banquet at the MTNA Conference in Chicago on March 24.
After pre-college studies at the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, Marc J. Hebda earned a B.M. in piano performance from Butler University, an M.M. in piano performance from Bowling Green State University, and an ARCM from the Royal College of Music, London, England. Notable teachers include John Browning, Jerome Rose, Benjamin Kaplan and Carola Grindea with additional postgraduate studies at FSU with Leonard Mastrogiacomo, while also teaching piano and music theory at the university. Marc is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Pi Kappa Lambda. Marc has served as a church pianist and organist and has collaborated with numerous vocalists, instrumentalists and choirs over the span of his career.
Marc has maintained a private piano studio at Main Street Music, Inc., in Tallahassee, since 1987 where he is also currently the company’s chief financial administrator. Marc is a frequent adjudicator for piano festivals and competitions, including the FSMTA District Student Day, District Concerto Competition and state competitions, as well as the National Guild of Piano Teachers and the Florida Federation of Music Clubs.
Marc has been an MTNA member since 1987. A Past President of Tallahassee MTA, Marc served FSMTA for seven years as Vice President for Membership, two years as Vice President for District and Local Associations, Parliamentarian, 2007 MTNA Southern Division Adjudicator Chair, 2009 FSMTA Conference Chair, FSMTA President, and FSMTF President. Currently, Marc is serving FSMTA as the 2014 FSMTA Conference Chair, MTNA as Southern Division Director-Elect, and will be installed as a MTNA Director in March, 2013, for a two-year term.
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FSMTA President, Marc Hebda, named MTNA Southern Division Director - 2013
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Sue Colvert named FSMTA 2012 Florida Fellow
Sue Bently Colvert was named FSMTA 2012 Florida Fellow at the 2012 MTNA National Conference. |
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MTNA Distinguished Composer of the Year Award - 2012
CONGRATULATIONS to Shawn Hundley on his selection as the MTNA Distinguished Composer of The Year!! He will be going to the MTNA Conference in New York City to have his piece performed on Sunday morning, the 26th of March, at 11:00 a.m. We are thrilled that Shawn will be representing FSMTA and the great state of Florida at our national conference. |
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Dr. Rickman - New Steinway Artist - 2011
Volusia County Music Teachers Association (VCMTA) is proud to announce that our colleague, Dr. Michael Rickman, has been honored as a Steinway Artist. The following quote is from the letter that Dr. Rickman received from Brian Hunter, Steinway and Sons Director of Concert and Artist Activities. "Although you are already considered a member of the Steinway family through your personal association with our piano, the high standard you have set with your artistic and professional achievements make it most appropriate that you are now formally included among a list of the most accomplished and discriminating performing artists in the world." VCMTA is honored to have Dr. Rickman as part of our group, providing numerous scholarship programs for our chapter, and having his students on recitals, in concerto competitions, and in local and state musical programs. To all the members of FSMTA who have known Dr. Rickman through his many years of service to our organization, please send your congratulations to him on this prestigious recognition of his distinguished international career. |
MTNA Fellow Named from Florida
Martha Mier Named 2010 Florida Fellow
Martha Mier is an internationally recognized composer and clinician who joined Alfred Music Publishing in 1989. Her educational piano music for students of all levels has made her one of today's most popular composers. Students worldwide enjoy playing her music, including the popular Jazz, Rags & Blues series and the Romantic Impressions series.
Martha graduated from Florida State University, where she was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, the national honorary music fraternity. Martha owned a piano studio in Lake City, FL for many years and has been active in church music and as a professional accompanist. She is a member of the Music Teachers National Association, the Florida State Music Teachers Association, and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. Martha is a state and nationally certified teacher of piano through these professional organizations.
Martha is a frequent clinician and adjudicator, having presented workshops for teachers in Australia and New Zealand and in the United States at the Music Teachers National Association Conference, the National Piano Teachers Institute, the World Piano Pedagogy Conference and numerous state MTA conventions. Many of her solos and collections were chosen for the National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Festival Bulletin. She is a co-author of Alfred's Premier Piano Course and more than 200 other educational piano publications.
Martha Mier Named 2010 Florida Fellow
Martha Mier is an internationally recognized composer and clinician who joined Alfred Music Publishing in 1989. Her educational piano music for students of all levels has made her one of today's most popular composers. Students worldwide enjoy playing her music, including the popular Jazz, Rags & Blues series and the Romantic Impressions series.
Martha graduated from Florida State University, where she was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, the national honorary music fraternity. Martha owned a piano studio in Lake City, FL for many years and has been active in church music and as a professional accompanist. She is a member of the Music Teachers National Association, the Florida State Music Teachers Association, and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. Martha is a state and nationally certified teacher of piano through these professional organizations.
Martha is a frequent clinician and adjudicator, having presented workshops for teachers in Australia and New Zealand and in the United States at the Music Teachers National Association Conference, the National Piano Teachers Institute, the World Piano Pedagogy Conference and numerous state MTA conventions. Many of her solos and collections were chosen for the National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Festival Bulletin. She is a co-author of Alfred's Premier Piano Course and more than 200 other educational piano publications.
2010 Teacher of the Year Award Presented
Mary Lou Krosnick Receives Florida State Music Teachers Association's Highest Award
FSMTA’s Excellence in Teaching award is the highest and most prestigious award conferred by this organization and is reserved for its most outstanding teachers based on criteria such as teaching and professional achievement, student success, participation and accomplishments in local, state, and national programs, and community involvement.
We are honored to present the award this year to a most distinguished and extraordinary teacher and performer, Mrs. Mary Lou Wesley Krosnick of Jacksonville.
Mrs. Krosnick, the daughter of a Juilliard alumnus, made her debut performance at age 14, when she won the NY Philharmonic Symphony Society’s Young Composers Contest with her composition The Rain Comes, which was later performed in Carnegie Hall.
She is an internationally acclaimed performing and recording pianist who, in her own words, “specializes in performing challenging, mostly major and virtuosic works by recognized masters of classical literature,” and was a former soloist with Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler and the Jacksonville Symphony under Willis Page. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and was a national winner for the Teachers Division of the International Recording Competition and National Guild of Piano Teachers. She has been a recording artist for the Musical Heritage Society and Florida Public Radio in addition to being a featured soloist at Rome Festival in Italy for three summers. She was included in the 2006 edition of Great Women of the 21st Century, which only recognizes 1000 women in the entire world.
Mrs. Krosnick’s contributions in music education have been many and great. She holds degrees from Juilliard, Yale, and the University of Wisconsin and began teaching at Jacksonville University in 1978, where she still holds the distinguished artist-in- residence title. She developed her own pedagogy for structurally analyzing and then tackling technical challenges resulting in a meticulous methodology for teaching her piano students. She served as Head of piano faculty at Sewannee Summer Music Center for 11 years, and most recently was selected as one of “75 Distinguished Dolphins”, in honor of Jacksonville University’s 75th anniversary, for having been deemed to have made the greatest contribution to school and community. She has produced multiple student winners in local, state, and national competitions (the list is 4 pages long covering 30 years), with an impressive record of 25 straight years of having winning students in FSMTA District IV competitions. She is nationally certified by MTNA, a published author, and has been recognized by the Arts in Education Program sponsored by FL Dept. of State.
Mary Lou Krosnick Receives Florida State Music Teachers Association's Highest Award
FSMTA’s Excellence in Teaching award is the highest and most prestigious award conferred by this organization and is reserved for its most outstanding teachers based on criteria such as teaching and professional achievement, student success, participation and accomplishments in local, state, and national programs, and community involvement.
We are honored to present the award this year to a most distinguished and extraordinary teacher and performer, Mrs. Mary Lou Wesley Krosnick of Jacksonville.
Mrs. Krosnick, the daughter of a Juilliard alumnus, made her debut performance at age 14, when she won the NY Philharmonic Symphony Society’s Young Composers Contest with her composition The Rain Comes, which was later performed in Carnegie Hall.
She is an internationally acclaimed performing and recording pianist who, in her own words, “specializes in performing challenging, mostly major and virtuosic works by recognized masters of classical literature,” and was a former soloist with Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler and the Jacksonville Symphony under Willis Page. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and was a national winner for the Teachers Division of the International Recording Competition and National Guild of Piano Teachers. She has been a recording artist for the Musical Heritage Society and Florida Public Radio in addition to being a featured soloist at Rome Festival in Italy for three summers. She was included in the 2006 edition of Great Women of the 21st Century, which only recognizes 1000 women in the entire world.
Mrs. Krosnick’s contributions in music education have been many and great. She holds degrees from Juilliard, Yale, and the University of Wisconsin and began teaching at Jacksonville University in 1978, where she still holds the distinguished artist-in- residence title. She developed her own pedagogy for structurally analyzing and then tackling technical challenges resulting in a meticulous methodology for teaching her piano students. She served as Head of piano faculty at Sewannee Summer Music Center for 11 years, and most recently was selected as one of “75 Distinguished Dolphins”, in honor of Jacksonville University’s 75th anniversary, for having been deemed to have made the greatest contribution to school and community. She has produced multiple student winners in local, state, and national competitions (the list is 4 pages long covering 30 years), with an impressive record of 25 straight years of having winning students in FSMTA District IV competitions. She is nationally certified by MTNA, a published author, and has been recognized by the Arts in Education Program sponsored by FL Dept. of State.
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Carolyn Bradford Named MTNA 50-Year Member - 2010
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MTNA FLORIDA FELLOW NAMED - 2010
Congratulations to Leonard Mastrogiacomo – the newest MTNA Fellow from Florida!
LEONARD MASTROGIACOMO, Professor of Piano, is a graduate of Chicago Musical College and the Juilliard Leonard Mastrogiacomo School of Music. His major teachers have been Ejnar Krantz, Wanda Paul, Rudolph Ganz and Joseph Bloch. As a recipient of a Fulbright Grant for study in Italy, he studied at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. Leonard has performed in both the United States and Europe, where he participated in a tour sponsored by the U.S. Government.
He has specialized in performance and research in the area of duo piano with his wife, Norma. As Duo Pianists in Residence at The Florida State University, the Mastrogiacomo Duo was twice selected as performers for the State Touring Program in Florida. The Duo has also received a National Endowment for the Arts Grant to commission new works for duo piano.
Leonard has been a consistently active member of the Florida State Music Teachers Association (FSMTA) for numerous years as a performer, adjudicator, and panelist, and has held various offices, including that of President. His students have been successful in winning many awards and competitions, and serve on faculties in colleges and universities throughout the United States. In 2002, in recognition for dedication to the music profession, Tallahassee Music Teachers Association (TMTA) and FSMTA, District II members and friends established The Leonard and Norma Mastrogiacomo Endowment with the Florida State Music Teachers Foundation for the Pre-collegiate Chamber Music Award. Leonard has been recognized throughout his career for teaching, including receipt of the Excellence in College Teaching award by the Florida State University in 1994 and the ‘Excellence in Teaching Award’ by FSMTA in 2003.
Leonard’s service to MTNA, FSMTA and TMTA spans many, many years. He served as Southern Division Vice President for Competitions for a 2 year period. (This position was subsequently deleted as a separate position, due to reorganization by Southern Division.) Along with his wife, Norma, Leonard served as on-site coordinator each time the MTNA Southern Division Competitions were held at the Florida State University College of Music. With support from fellow TMTA members, his responsibilities included arranging the competition venues, setting up rehearsal schedules, assigning monitors, scheduling evening social events, etc.
The Mastrogiacomo Duo were honored to be have been selected to present lecture and recital sessions at the MTNA conferences in Miami, Fl, Atlanta, GA and Dearborn, MI., after MTNA officials ‘previewed’ them at FSMTA conferences. Beginning in 1991, the duo have also co-hosted a FSU College of Music ‘Alumni and Friends’ breakfast reception at the annual MTNA Conference.
Another testament to Leonard’s teaching ability, a number of his students have been winners in the FSMTA ‘Collegiate Artist’ Competition – now called ‘Young Artist’; some have gone on to compete at the Division level ; and two have made it to the National Finals, one being selected as alternate (Los Angeles Conference, To say that music and music education would be vastly different in Florida without the extensive contributions from Leonard Mastrogiacomo would not be an overstatement. In a time when many are “too busy” to participate in, much less lead organizations, MTNA, and particularly FSMTA and TMTA, are very grateful to have been the recipients of his time, talent and good counsel.
Congratulations to Leonard Mastrogiacomo – the newest MTNA Fellow from Florida!
LEONARD MASTROGIACOMO, Professor of Piano, is a graduate of Chicago Musical College and the Juilliard Leonard Mastrogiacomo School of Music. His major teachers have been Ejnar Krantz, Wanda Paul, Rudolph Ganz and Joseph Bloch. As a recipient of a Fulbright Grant for study in Italy, he studied at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. Leonard has performed in both the United States and Europe, where he participated in a tour sponsored by the U.S. Government.
He has specialized in performance and research in the area of duo piano with his wife, Norma. As Duo Pianists in Residence at The Florida State University, the Mastrogiacomo Duo was twice selected as performers for the State Touring Program in Florida. The Duo has also received a National Endowment for the Arts Grant to commission new works for duo piano.
Leonard has been a consistently active member of the Florida State Music Teachers Association (FSMTA) for numerous years as a performer, adjudicator, and panelist, and has held various offices, including that of President. His students have been successful in winning many awards and competitions, and serve on faculties in colleges and universities throughout the United States. In 2002, in recognition for dedication to the music profession, Tallahassee Music Teachers Association (TMTA) and FSMTA, District II members and friends established The Leonard and Norma Mastrogiacomo Endowment with the Florida State Music Teachers Foundation for the Pre-collegiate Chamber Music Award. Leonard has been recognized throughout his career for teaching, including receipt of the Excellence in College Teaching award by the Florida State University in 1994 and the ‘Excellence in Teaching Award’ by FSMTA in 2003.
Leonard’s service to MTNA, FSMTA and TMTA spans many, many years. He served as Southern Division Vice President for Competitions for a 2 year period. (This position was subsequently deleted as a separate position, due to reorganization by Southern Division.) Along with his wife, Norma, Leonard served as on-site coordinator each time the MTNA Southern Division Competitions were held at the Florida State University College of Music. With support from fellow TMTA members, his responsibilities included arranging the competition venues, setting up rehearsal schedules, assigning monitors, scheduling evening social events, etc.
The Mastrogiacomo Duo were honored to be have been selected to present lecture and recital sessions at the MTNA conferences in Miami, Fl, Atlanta, GA and Dearborn, MI., after MTNA officials ‘previewed’ them at FSMTA conferences. Beginning in 1991, the duo have also co-hosted a FSU College of Music ‘Alumni and Friends’ breakfast reception at the annual MTNA Conference.
Another testament to Leonard’s teaching ability, a number of his students have been winners in the FSMTA ‘Collegiate Artist’ Competition – now called ‘Young Artist’; some have gone on to compete at the Division level ; and two have made it to the National Finals, one being selected as alternate (Los Angeles Conference, To say that music and music education would be vastly different in Florida without the extensive contributions from Leonard Mastrogiacomo would not be an overstatement. In a time when many are “too busy” to participate in, much less lead organizations, MTNA, and particularly FSMTA and TMTA, are very grateful to have been the recipients of his time, talent and good counsel.
MTNA Fellow Named from Florida - 2006
