25 Years

Thank You for 25 Wonderful Years!

To my teaching colleagues, loyal volunteers year after year, supportive friends, and all of the participants and their families, THANK YOU for your support of the Sonatina Festival for 25 fantastic years. For something that began on a whim when I was just 26 years old, it sure turned into an annual project pretty quickly. I will not be coordinating a festival in 2026.

I’m excited to pursue other ideas and projects that are brewing! Students and teachers, I hope you’ll take part in Ludwig Lives 2027 (www.ludwiglives.info) and celebrate Beethoven all year long next year. If you have other ideas you’d like to see come to life, let’s talk – I’m excited to work with my colleagues for the betterment of our students and our community.


But what about the Sonatina Festival? 
If you or someone you know would like to make it continue, please let me know. I know that teachers and students look forward to this each fall. I’m just not the one to host it anymore.

The domain www.sonatinafestival.org is FOR SALE. Please inquire at the contact page on this website.

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The 25th Annual Sonatina Festival aims to raise awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonata and Sonatina musical forms.  As many music auditions and competitions are held in the spring, this festival encourages musical preparation during the fall semester by providing a performance goal for musicians of all ages and levels. We hope you’ll participate in this exciting music-making event!

The Sonatina Festival is a beloved musical tradition in the Madison and southwestern Wisconsin communities. Each fall, this event welcomes students ages 4–18, adult learners, duet teams, and even teaching professionals in both competitive and non-competitive categories. Teachers, entrants, parents, volunteers, and community members come together to create a welcoming, diverse musical environment. Participants receive detailed written feedback from adjudicators with advanced degrees and national certification.

This year’s commissioned Sonatina will deepen the festival’s cultural and artistic significance while celebrating the festival’s silver anniversary. The premiere of a brand-new work composed especially for the occasion elevates the experience for performers and audiences alike. The addition of a community-wide cover art contest further opens the event to public participation and creativity.

By commissioning a new work and encouraging artistic contributions from the broader community, this project honors the past, supports living composers, and invites new people to join in making, hearing, and appreciating music.

Information

Learn about the Commissioned Composer and the premiere of our three-movement sonatina!