On Saturday, March 1, 2003 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Mississauga, the Provincial jurisdiction of the ORMTA will be holding it's Annual General Meeting. There are a number of issues that will be voted on. It's in the best interest of all members to understand these issues so you can participate in the voting process.

One issue up for voting is a motion to increase yearly fees that the Province charges. (Branch members should not confuse this with our Branch levy that is separate from Provincial dues). Last year, the Province charged members a total of $101.60. According to the motion, fees will be increased by the Consumer Price Index. This raise will be calculated every 2 years starting in March 2003 for the fiscal year 03/04. The raise will be the average of the preceding 2 years.

Other matters for voting include that the services of the Provincial Auditor be retained for 03/04, the 01/02 Audit be accepted, the name of "Metro Toronto Zone" be changed to "Greater Toronto Area Zone", & the name of North York Branch be changed to "North York/York Region Branch".

You, as members have an opportunity to have your voice heard on any of these issues at our Winter Tea (see flyer) where we will vote on these issues.

If you would like to represent the Branch as a delegate at the AGM, please let Frank Horvat know asap.

This spring, the ORMTA Provincial Council will be losing one of it's most esteemed members. Liselotte Jongedijk will be completing her term as zone representative after 3 years in that position.

During this period of time, members from across the province have had an opportunity to be witness to what we in Central Toronto Branch already know, that Liselotte is a very passionate, caring and personable musician & colleague.

Unlike some of you, I have only had the pleasure of knowing Liselotte for a few years. One of our first encounters was at the home of Marjorie Francoz where we were discussing cheese. I stated my delight for Gouda. Upon saying the word, Liselotte promptly corrected me that the proper Dutch pronunciation is "Howda". From that day on, I knew that anyone with this vast knowledge of cheese is someone that I could count on. (hee!hee!).

And from that day on, I have come to hold her opinion and experience in the ORMTA and music in general with the highest esteem. She has been an invaluable resource in shaping ORMTA programs & procedures and giving a helping hand at various functions. Why it was only back in October when she was able to fill in and deliver an impromptu presentation for our Autumn Tea.

So from all of us to you, Liselotte, please accept our many congratulations on a job well done and many thanks for being such a great asset to all of us!

May the New Year bring all members much happiness & health!

- Frank Horvat

The Fall Scholarship Recital was held on November 23 at the Transfiguration Church. Many talented students performed to a large and appreciative crowd. All performances were very polished. This made the task of selecting Scholarship winners for our adjudicator, Marjorie Beckett, a challenging one.

Congratulations to the following Scholarship Winners and their teachers & families for a job well done: Vanessa Faria, Billy He, Gwendolyn Lovsted, Sarah Bradley & Shary Kasman.

The Fall Recital also featured CTB's celebration of Canada Music Week. Sir Ernest MacMillan Scholarships for outstanding performances of Canadian works were awarded to Ryan Faulkner & Louise Simone, Congratulations!

Thanks go out to our many volunteers for making the Fall Auditions & Recital a success. A Special Thanks goes to our Auditions & Recitals Convenor for doing another spectacular job of organizing.

It's hard to believe, but we are only 3 months away from April and the Branch Auditions & Recital.

The Executive is proud to announce that our adjudicators will be Karen Di Bella for the Auditions and Christopher Kowal for the Recital. Both have a proven track record and we look forward to their helpful suggestions for our students.

Other items that teachers should take note of:
- Please ensure that the timings of your student’s pieces are accurate when submitting your entry form. Since there are so many students who are involved in the Audition process, it is absolutely essential that a strict schedule be adhered to. Please understand that the adjudicator will stop your students if they go over their allotted time. (Please refer to #5 in Auditions/Recitals Regulations)
- In making the administration more efficient, please ensure that you submit only one cheque for fee payments on behalf of all your students.
- And finally, it is a regular gesture on the part of teachers whose students participate in the Auditions to donate their time. If you are able to lend a few hours of your Saturday on either April 5, 12 or 26, please contact Ford Barker at 416-964-6682.

Central Toronto Branch is proud to award a Theory Scholarship for an outstanding result from the August 2002 session to Liliana Camacho for attaining 86% in Grade 3 Harmony. Liliana is a student of Branch member, Rosalind Johnson.

For more information on how your talented theory students can also be awarded a scholarship for their successful efforts, please refer to the Awards & Scholarships list mailed to you in September (orange paper). If you would like another copy, please visit www.ormtatoronto.org in the "Auditions & Recitals" section or contact Frank @ 416-214-9534. Successful results from December Theory exams must be submitted no later than April 14. Please send results to Frank Horvat, 922-155 Dalhousie St., Toronto, ON, M5B 2P7

Effective for the 2002/2003 school year, the Executive Committee will require new members to fill some vacant positions such as Treasurer-Registrar and Secretary. Other than these specific roles, anyone from the Branch is welcome to join the Executive in other capacities not mentioned. You would be joining a dedicated bunch that volunteers their time to ensure that we maintain the quality of our events and a professional appearance in our community. Think you would like to help out? Please contact Frank Horvat at 416-214-9534.

Got those Winter Blues? Come out of the cold and join your colleagues in an afternoon of stimulating conversation and musical enlightenment.

On Sunday, February 9, the annual Winter Tea will take place in the home of Marjorie Francoz. All attending will be guided through a mini-workshop on pedagogical approaches to the new Rudiments curriculum as outlined in the updated RCM Theory Syllabus.

A short meeting will also take place so you, the membership can stay up to date on branch affairs and events. You will also be welcome to voice your questions and comments.

For more information, please contact Frank Horvat at 416-214-9534. See you on the 9th!

On Sunday, March 2, some of Central Toronto Branch's talented members will perform in a concert to help support the Branch's Scholarship Fund.

The annual Teachers In Concert will be held at the Women's Art Association.

Those featured include:

• Mildred Bennett (piano)
• Kathleen Gorman (piano)
• S. Currim (composition)
• Rick Summers (guitar)
• Jeanette Roberts (voice)
• David McCartney (piano)
• Chris Vanhaverbeke (guitar)
• and more!

All members should encourage their students and their families to attend. To make the experience more stimulating for the students, a Review Writing Contest will take place. Click Here to find guidelines in assisting a student to write their review. Students are encouraged to take notes during the concert. Prizes include a Junior Scholarship (12 & under) of $35, and a Senior Scholarship (13 to 19) of $50. Details of submissions will be given at the Concert.

Help in publicity for this event from the General Membership would be much appreciated. If you know of some locales, students or colleagues that might like a flyer, please contact Frank Horvat for copies of the flyers.

In this day and age when some students are just as interested in Britney as they are in Bach, it's important to be able to guide your piano student through the maze of pop music out there. Central Toronto Branch will hold a workshop by Peteris Zarins on Monday, April 28, discussing in-depth pedagogical insights in to pop music for the piano student. Please note the start time of 9:30 AM at the Church of the Transfiguration. Again, if you know of some locales, students or colleagues that might like a flyer, please contact Frank Horvat for extra copies.

If there are any Branch members who have 50+ years of membership within the ORMTA (or other CFMTA affiliated organisations), please advise the Provincial Treasurer, Lorraine Jorden at 705-728-1370 or jjorden@sympatico.ca.

For this extraordinary feat, you will be awarded a special certificate and a life membership to our Association.

Members of the Central Toronto Branch along with their students and families can continue to benefit from a partnership with Sinfonia Toronto.

The highly acclaimed ensemble under the direction of Nurhan Arman have offered ORMTA members discounted prices, when organizing a party of 10 or more, to attend their performances.

All the performances are at the Glenn Gould Studio. For more info, please contact Ms. Chasins at 416-499-0403.

Upcoming Dates:

• February 1, 8PM. "Double Treat"
• March 1, 8PM. "Happy Birthday Frederic Chopin"
• April 5, 8PM. "Winner, 2003 Sinfonia TO Concerto Competition"
• May 3, 8PM. "Romantic Russians"

We thank Sinfonia Toronto for their ongoing support of the ORMTA!

Effective for the 2003/2004 school year, the Executive Committee will be in need of Branch members to fill positions that are to be vacated at the end of this year.

The following are positions that no one has expressed interest in filling at this stage: Vice President, Treasurer/Registrar, & Publicity.

Other than these specific roles, anyone from the Branch is welcome to join the Executive in other capacities not mentioned. Even though executive members have a title, they tend to share the workload and help each other out.

You would be joining a dedicated bunch that volunteers their time to ensure that we maintain the quality of our events and a professional appearance in our community.

Think you would like to help out? Please contact Frank Horvat at 416-214-9534.

Branch member, Ennio Paola has established the Montana International College School Piano Competition on June 7 at the Columbus Centre in Toronto.

Participants aged 9 through 19 will be eligible to enter one or more of 9 categories. The top three in the first 8 categories will win fabulous cash prize awards.

Those students entered in the Grand Prize Class will be competing for free air travel and tuition to attend Montana College's 2003 Summer Music Course & Tour near Rome, Italy. Participants who successfully complete the program will receive a high school credit that can be used towards obtaining an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

For more info, please call 416-410-3376 or visit www.montanacollege.org.

Change of address, phone number or email? Please contact Mary Mexis Lumsden with those changes.

A 2003 Calendar of Canadian Composers is now available from Frank Horvat at a cost of $10. The calendar features a wealth of biographical information on a variety of composers including Frank Mills, Leila Fletcher, Andrew Markow and many more.

The next Newsletter will be distributed in mid May. Members are welcome to submit announcements regarding professional activities to Frank Horvat for Newsletter & Website Posting.

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