UMTA Composition Competition

2026 UMTA Composition Competition

The UMTA composition competition is open to Utah residents and teachers only. It is held primarily to give as many students as possible the opportunity to experiment with composing. The low entry fee helps accomplish this.

Registration opens April 1st and closes April 30th each year. All applications will be made online through the registration link below. Parents and/or student need to complete the application. Payment is made online after all entry information is completed. Winners will be announced in June 2026 and are invited to attend a student awards reception October 25th.

Fees: (UMTA member teacher)
Elementary (ages 5-10): $10
Junior (ages 11-14): $15
Senior (ages 15-18): $20
Collegiate/Adult (ages 19+): $25

All non-UMTA teacher entries are $45

Competition Rules Registration (Opens April 1)
 

2026 UMTA Composition Competition Winners

Elementary:
1st place: Jumping in the Leaves – Abigail Ortiz Ponce, student of Eva Lundgreen
2nd place: Eridian Trills – Lewis Livingston, student of Carmen Hall
3rd place: Early Exploring – Lily Anderson, student of Abbey Burton
Honorable Mention: Riding a Bike – Harvey Anderson, student of Carmen Hall

Junior:
1st place: Excelsior – Eli Jones, student of Jill Gubler and Anson Baliel
2nd place: Invention in D minor – Isaak Lavers, student of Juliet Preston
3rd place: String Quartet No. 3 – Zoe Jensen, student of Elizabeth Lund
Honorable Mention: Rusted Memories – Zoey Higley, student of Elizabeth Zajac

Senior:
1st place: Theme and Variations – Max Stephens, student of Joseph Sowa
2nd place: Buliara – Charlee Crump, student of Carmen Hall
3rd place: Robot Discrimination – Henry Trinh, student of Emily Ezola
Honorable Mention: Moderato in G Major – Noah Davidson, student of Carmen Hall

Collegiate/Adult:
1st place: String Quartet No. 1, “The Heavens” – Blake Matamoros, student of Emma Cardon Wake
2nd place: Locomotive – Bridger Ivie, student of Steven Vanhauwaert
3rd place: Tempus Fugit for String Quartet – William Tegtmeier, student of Emma Cardon Wake
Honorable Mention: Indefessus Cogitandi (Tireless Thinking) – Abigail Billyard, student of Jihea Hong-Park

 

2025 UMTA Composition Competition Winners

Elementary
First Place: Divertimento in G by Amelia Clawson, student of Kim Moody
Second Place: Spellbound by Eleanora Blair, student of Kathryn Barney
Third Place: Leap Frog by Isaac Beutler, student of Jennifer Pilling
HM: The Penguin Game by Archer Erskine, student of Carmen Hall
HM: Calm by Evann Goh, student of Kathryn Barney

Junior
First Place: Winds of Change by Eli Jones, student of Jill Gubler and Anson Baliel
Second Place: A Hero’s Journey by Gabriel James, student of Laurisa Cope
Third Place: Leaf on the Stream by Thea Pettit, student of Denise Frost
HM: Memories by Samantha Molling, student of Marilyn Hilton
HM: Phantom of the Music Box by Peter Lyman, student of Denise Frost

Senior
First Place: Fleeting Dances by Cohen Brough, student of Kevin Olson
Second Place: Olson Variations by Henry Trinh, student of Emily Ezola
Third Place: All the Stars Must Go by Finn Mason, student of Kevin Olson
HM: Sahansa Tango by Lucas Jeppeson, student of Denise Frost

Collegiate/Adult
First Place: Blueprint: Housewife 1962 by Campbell Helton, student of Kevin Olson
Second Place: Prelude no. 1 by Teagan Broadbent, student of Laurisa Cope
Third Place: Sonata in G minor by George Wells, student of Nancy Allred
HM: Master of the Universe by Josiah Barton, student of Kevin Olson
HM: You Were Crying on a Quiet Night by Tori Anderson, student of Gerta Wiemer

 

2024 UMTA Composition Competition Winners

Elementary
1st Place: “Spring Storm” by Melody Zhan, student of Kevin Olson
2nd Place: “Swiss Meadow Train” by Micah Stratford, student of Amy Ferguson
3rd Place: “Fight for the World” by Lucas Udy, student of Rebecca Udy
HM: “Flowers” by Alexandria Moulton, student of Barbara Gill

Junior
1st Place: “Sonata in D Major, Mvmt. 1” by Henry Trinh, student of Emily Ezola
2nd Place: “Aria and Prelude in F Minor” by Isaak Lavers, student of Juliet Preston
3rd Place: “Antique Oddities” by Anna Lyman, student of Gregory Blunt
HM: “16/8” by Charlee Crump, student of Carmen Hall
HM: “Tsunami” by Kyle Moser, student of Kevin Olson

Senior
1st Place: “Hymn of the Colorado” by Cohen Brough, student of Kevin Olson
2nd Place: “Tempest” by Anson Baliel, student of Tricia West
3rd Place:  “Daylight Mvmt. 1 – Dawn” by Caleb Judd, student of Lynsie Brown
HM: “Snow Puff” by Liam Bracken, student of Jennifer Pilling

Collegiate/Adult
1st Place: “The Owl of Minerva Spreads its Wings at Dusk” by Hugues Herpin, student of Kevin Olson
2nd Place: “In the Flux of the Wind” by Adam Bowen, student of Kevin Olson
3rd Place: “Piano Concerto No. 1 in F# Minor” by Ian Patterson, student of Jihea Hong Park
HM: “Prairie Sky” by Barbara Shelton

 

2023 UMTA State Composition Winners

The MTNA Composition Competition sent three entries to the 2023 Southwest Division Competition:
Desmond Smedley, Junior Division
Ethan Stanger, Senior Division
Rebecca Farmer, Young Artist Division

The results of the composition competition for Southwest Division announced Rebecca Farmer as the winner of the Young Artist Division! Brava Rebecca! Rebecca advanced to the national competition as a national finalist. Those results were just announced on January 15th and although Rebecca was not a winner, we applaud her hard work and are so proud of her representing Utah at such a high level. Thank you Rebecca, and congratulations to your teacher, Kevin Olson, as well.