Briarcliff Manor School District
NYSSMA Solo Festivals
Dear Parents and Students,
The 2023 NYSSMA solo festivals are quickly approaching. Please read all the information carefully. Most participating students take private instrumental or vocal lessons outside of school and/or are recommended by their school music teacher to prepare the required material.
The Strings Festival for levels 1-4 only, (including ALL levels guitar and harp), will take place on Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15 at Rye Neck Middle/High School, 300 Hornridge Road, Mamaroneck, NY 10543.
The 2023 NYSSMA Up-County Festival is for Band instruments, Voice and Strings (levels 5 & 6 only). It does not include Strings levels 1-4, piano, guitar, harp or jazz. This festival will take place on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22 at Anne M. Dorner Middle School, 100 Van Cortlandt Avenue, Ossining, NY 10562.
The Piano-Only Festival will take place on Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10, at Yorktown High School, 2727 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598.
- Student Information Form:
- The deadline to register for the Strings Festival (levels 1-4) and/or the Up-County Festival is Monday, February 27.
The attached form must be filled out and returned to your child's music teacher.
Your child's music teacher will then register your child and provide each performer with a playing permit which must be brought to the festival site. Please click here for the form.
- The deadline to register for the Piano Festival is Monday, April 10. The attached form must be filled out and mailed to:
John Banks
Briarcliff High School
444 Pleasantville Road
Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510
- Dr. Banks will then register your child and provide each performer with a playing permit which must be brought to the festival site.
2. Important note:
- You must bring at least one original (preferably two) scores of your child's solo piece to the festival. Photocopies are not allowed and will result in your child not receiving a grade. {Piano parts or scores are acceptable for instrumentalists.)
3. NYSSMA Manual:
- The solo must be listed in the current NYSSMA Manual - Edition 33, Effective July 2022.
4. Visit www.Hickeys.com - they have a wide selection of NYSSMA solo music.
The fees for participation are listed on the registration form. Kindly fill in the information, select the day on which you would like to perform at the festival, and attach a check
for the fee payable to: BMUFSD.
Please submit separate checks for each festival if participating in multiple festivals.
The DEADLINE to return the form and the check is: Monday, February 27, 2023 for the Strings Festival (levels 1-4) and Up-County Festival and Monday, April 10, 2023 for the Piano Festival.
Return all forms as soon as possible. NYSSMA assigns each student's performance day and time. Days and times are assigned on a first come first serve basis.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact a music teacher as indicated below:
Piano: John Banks - jbanks@briarcliffschools.org
Vocal: Jenna Stufkosky - jstufkosky@briarcliffschools.org
Band: Gwynne Whitman - gwhitman@briarcliffschools.org
Strings: Gwynne Whitman or Nicole Gillen - npearson@briarcliffschools.org