Teachers affiliated with MTACA are involved in a diverse array of competitions and festivals for a variety of different ages and skill levels. Teachers may use this page to reference the opportunities available to their students. Parents and students who are interested in any of these should talk to their teachers about getting involved.
ASMTA Festival
ASMTAStudents compete in Performance, Written Theory, and Musicianship. Teachers must be members of MTNA and ASMTA; MTNA membership number is needed to participate. Students enter in the Region of their teacher’s residence.
arkansasmta.org/competitions-festivals/MTNA Competitions
MTNAStudents compete in by age groups in various categories, including piano, piano duet, strings, brass, woodwinds, voice, chamber ensembles, etc.
mtna.org/Competitions.html
Other festivals of note
J. D. Kelly Piano Competition
This competition honors the memory of Dr. J. D. Kelly, Professor Emeritus of Piano, Arkansas State University.
laurenschackclark.com/piano-competition.htmlThe Stella Boyle Smith Young Artist Competition
Stella Boyle Smith Young Artist Competition, a statewide talent competition for Piano, String, Woodwinds, and Brass.
arkansassymphony.org/education-community/young-artist-competitionUALR Piano and Strings Festival
Open to all piano and strings students in grades 1-12, living in the state of Arkansas. Each student may participate in any one or two of the following categories: Piano Solo, Piano Ensemble, Piano Jazz Solo, String Solo (guitar, violin, viola, cello, or double bass), String Duet, Trio or Quartet, Composition.
ualr.edu/music/UCA Piano Festival
The O. Samuel Driggers Piano Festival at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) is an annual event for K-12 piano students. Participants perform two pieces for a judge, receive scores with numbered measures, and compete for ratings, trophies, and placement in a winners recital.
steinwaylr.com/news/2026-uca-samuel-driggers-piano-festival