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The Massachusetts chapter of the Music Teachers National Association recently announced the winners of the statewide competition involving student performers in both individual and ensemble categories.

Winners from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Music and Dance included Emily Kaplan, a student in Cobus du Toit’s Flute Studio, and the UMass Saxophone Quartet, featuring Nicholas Suosso, Nick Biagini, Javier Torrens, and Peter da Silva under the direction of Jonathan Hulting-Cohen.

The state competition is the first level of the MTNA’s annual performance competitions, which provide educational experiences for students and recognize exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence. The competitions are open to talented pianists, string, and woodwind students at all age levels.

The winners of the state competitions will compete at the regional Division Competition later in the winter. The Division winners then compete at the MTNA National Convention in the spring, and those winners perform in a special recital for teachers from all over the country.