All entries must be sent via US MAIL as paper copies, with a paper check made payable to:

STUDIOSHARE MADISON

Only private studio teachers are permitted to submit entries please. Festival entries will be limited to the first 40 entries received (complete, including fees, and eligible - postmarked on or before October 15, 2026 please).

Teachers - please request your entry forms ASAP - they will be mailed to you via US Mail. Email Shad - thestudio615[at]gmail.com PLEASE include your name & list a physical US Mail address.

If you have questions, please contact Shad:

thestudio615[at]gmail.com

SUBMISSIONS MUST BE MAILED TO THIS MAILING ADDRESS - PLEASE ADDRESS YOUR ENTRIES WITH THIS PRECISE FORMAT:

SUITE AUTUMN FESTIVAL

c/o Shad Wenzlaff Studio Share Madison

615 N Sherman Ave Suite 21

Madison, WI 53704

The 2nd Suite Autumn Festival

celebrates the Baroque and baroque-inspired repertoire.

PLEASE NOTE OUR EARLIER ENTRY DEADLINE AND AUDITION DATE FOR 2026.

We invite youth musicians to audition - choose either a competitive, or a non-competitive option. Youth musicians ages 8-18 may enter. Students must be pre-college in order to enter [this is to say: we accept entrants approximately Grade 2-12].

Our 2026 festival auditions will take place in person, Saturday November 14, 2026 — 5003 W University Ave Madison, 53705 (driveway is from Whitney Way - near the intersection of Whitney Way at W University Ave).

The showcase recital will be held in the early evening of Saturday, December 5, 2026 in our Studio 4. Our piano is a restored 1970 Yamaha C3 Grand. We will. provide an adjustable bench and a non-adjustable footstool.

The fee to enter the festival is $30 for non-competitive entries, and $38 for competitive entries - payable in US dollars via paper check.

Competitive versus non-competitive?

The pros and cons of competitive versus a non-competitive entry depend upon your goals as a student. Please consult with your teacher before choosing one or the other.

NON-COMPETITIVE If you thrive on working toward a goal and your objective is to challenge yourself to learn baroque era repertoire during the fall term, a non-competitive option may be best for you.

COMPETITIVE If you enjoy performing, and would like an opportunity to participate in a group recital, the competitive option is the way to go.

Our philosophy entails opportunity to consider adjudicator comments in lesson with your private teacher in order to enhance your public performance and presentation of your audition piece. Moreover, we believe that setting goals toward progress enables students and teachers alike to progress in their musical development, appreciation and mastery of the instrument, and enjoyment and fulfillment as a musician.

COMPETITIVE entries: Student in-person presentations will be considered for inclusion in a public performance, held in Studio 4 at Studio Share Madison in early-December. A limited number of entrants will be selected for performance.

Criteria for selection:

Only one performance of a particular piece will be selected for performance. This is to say: if two students enter with the same selection (composer, title), only one will be invited to perform in the recital. In the event that more than one entrant performs a particular work (say, for example, the JS Bach C Major Prelude from WTC Book 1), and the adjudicator believes all entrants performing that prelude showcased excellence - the adjudicator will rank the students performances, and a second student will be named an “alternate” in the event that the first-ranked student is unable to perform the prelude.

Students are encouraged to present 2 selections during the audition. Only one piece per student will be considered for performance, at the adjudicator’s discretion. \

Adjudicator decisions are final and may not be appealed.

Priority will be given to entries which present the following repertoire:

Outstanding performance of a Baroque-era piece/movement written by a female composer;

Outstanding presentation that showcases interesting era-appropriate ornamentation;

Outstanding performance of a piece from the Anna Magdalena Bach notebook;

Outstanding audition of a baroque- era suite movement, prelude, prelude and fugue, toccata, invention, or sinfonia;

Works will be considered for performance based upon standards of excellence generally accepted by professional piano instructors, including but not limited to:

  • In-depth knowledge of the piece reflected in security of memory, or recovery from minor memory slips

  • Technical control, including fluid and/or clearly articulated ornamentation

  • Musically confident and/or expressive playing

  • Accurate rhythm, meter, and other markings - dynamics, balance, tempi will be considered as deemed appropriate by the adjudicator - the student and instructor are encouraged to make notations in the score regarding “interpretations” of baroque-era repertoire. The adjudicator reserves the right to consider these notations.

  • Generally - student performances will be adjudicated based upon effective projection of mood and style, clear intentionality of musical performance, posture, presentation and demeanor will be considered as important elements of auditions.