Our Suite of Festivals includes:

The Suite Autumn Festival - November and December 2025

A youth music festival that features both a competitive and a non-competitive component. Audition - November / Awards Recital - December

The Suite of Seasons Festival - Winter and Spring 2026

A series of youth-friendly recitals features local pianists and piano ensembles. Please email us for seat reservations. RSVP required. $20 per seat, youth are free with adult ticket.

Our events are ticketed. We are able to offer affordable ticket prices because of the generosity of local donors and volunteers. Our Studio Store, opening in 2026, will generate revenue to help us continue to offer the Suite of Seasons Festival in Studio 4 at an affordable price. Email Shad to learn more about donating, volunteering, and more:

thestudio615@gmail.com

The SUITE AUTUMN FESTIVAL

continues SATURDAY December 13, 2025 with our showcase recital and awards ceremony - invitation only.

Held at our studios 5003 West University Ave Madison

For our 2026 event, we will introduce the following changes.

Repertoire by Female composers highly encouraged. Works that were historically published as the Anna Magdalena Notebook are highly encouraged. Any work composed by a member of the Bach family is highly encouraged. Any suite movement by Gambarini, Handel, Frescobaldi, Couperin, Rameau, Schmidt, Telemann, Purcell, and Seixas encouraged.

1. OPTION A - Competitive entry for solo keyboard / piano - 2 piece program ($36 entry fee)

Perform from memory 2 contrasting works written exclusively for solo piano/keyboard, not to exceed 8 minutes duration performance times.* One work must be a keyboard/piano piece written by a Baroque-era (1600-ca. 1750) composer.

Non-baroque or non-baroque-inspired work will be considered. for comments only. If two works are performed, the strongest (baroque- or baroque-inspired) performance will be considered for invitation in the showcase recital. Each performer is permitted one work for performance (which may include a prelude-fugue set, or 2 movements from a single suite).

Baroque inspired is defined as: 1) a work (movement) that is written as part of a suite; 2) an invention, toccata, or prelude/fugue.

2. Option B - Competitive entry for solo keyboard / piano - Single piece entry ($36 entry fee)

Perform from memory 1 work written exclusively for solo piano/keyboard, not to exceed 8 minutes duration performance time. Must be either: a) a keyboard/piano of at least 15 measures that is written by a female composer from any era, or b) a keyboard/piano piece of at least 15 measures that is written as part of a suite, prelude/fugue, or toccata/toccatina, or c) any single piece that is part of the Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook

(Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook: including Musette in D major, BWV Anh.126, see YouTube link below, and elsewhere on this website, for additional AMB Notebook repertoire, )

3. Option C - Non Competitive Entry for Solo keyboard / piano - total performance time must not exceed 5 minutes duration. Non-competitive entries may be performed either memorized or non-memorized. Repertoire selections must include at least one piece from the Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook, up to 2 additional pieces of the students/teachers choice may include an arrangement for piano/keyboard. ($30 entry fee)

4. Option D - Small Ensemble - Small ensemble entries must include a keyboard/piano and be limited to not more than 4 youth performers. Teachers are not permitted to perform alongside students.

*Adjudicator will cut off performances at the time limit..

For repertoire suggestions - click the black box below.

We hope to introduce a “google” form for entry instead of paper entries - TBD. Fees may be paid via check sent US Mail, Zelle, or Venmo.

Additional changes and updates will be published here before June 1, 2026.

Female Composers of the Baroque era

The Suite Autumn Festival aims to bring awareness to the “forgotten” and marginalized histories of female composers. Notwithstanding our interest in highlighting the works of the Bach circle, as well as the generally abundantly available and well-known male composers there are many outstanding works written by lesser-known female composers. Please consider learning more about this history. Studio Share Madison features a lending library for any area teacher interested in learning more. Contact Shad to make an appointment to use our library

thestudio615@gmail.com

ANNA MAGDALENA BACH NOTEBOOK

Full list of permitted entries from the AMB notebook are listed below

Suggested entries for younger and beginner / early intermediate repertoire is labeled (B/EI) and boldfaced

Keyboard partita in A minor, BWV 827. (1731 published as the first volume of Clavier-Übung.)

Keyboard partita in E minor, BWV 830. (options: Air, Tempo di Gavotta)

B/EI Minuet in F major, BWV Anh. 113. (wikipedia quick link)

B/EI Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 114. attr. Christian Petzold (wikipedia quick link)

B/EI Minuet in G minor, BWV Anh. 115. attr. Christian Petzold

B/EI Rondeau in B-flat major, BWV Anh. 183 by François Couperin , aka. Les Bergeries (6e Ordre) (perform with no repeats).

B/EI Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 116

B/EI Polonaise in F major, BWV Anh. 117a (repeat required)
Polonaise in F major, BWV Anh. 117b (repeat required)

B/EI Minuet in B-flat major, BWV Anh. 118 (repeat required)

B/EI Polonaise in G minor, BWV Anh. 119 (repeat required)

Chorale prelude "Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten", BWV 691 (performed in person on piano; online online entry with organ encouraged)

Chorale setting "Gib dich zufrieden und sei stille" in F major, BWV 510 (performed in person on piano; online entrywith organ encouraged)

Chorale setting "Gib dich zufrieden und sei stille" in G minor, BWV 511

(performed in person on piano; online entry with organ encouraged)
Chorale setting "Gib dich zufrieden und sei stille" in E minor, BWV 512

(performed in person on piano; online entry with organ encouraged)

B/EI Minuet in A minor, BWV Anh. 120

B/EI Minuet in C minor, BWV Anh. 121

B/EI March in D major, BWV Anh. 122. attr. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

B/EI Polonaise in G minor, BWV Anh. 123. attr to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

B/EI March in G major, BWV Anh. 124. attr. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

B/EI Polonaise in G minor, BWV Anh. 125. attr. to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

B/EI Aria "So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife" in D minor, BWV 515
B/EI Aria "So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife" in G minor, BWV 515a

Menuet fait par Mons. Böhm, by Georg Böhm

B/EI Musette in D major, BWV Anh. 126

B/EI March in E-flat major, BWV Anh. 127

B/EI (Polonaise) in D minor, BWV Anh. 128

B/EI Aria "Bist du bei mir", BWV 508. Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (performed in person on piano; online entry with organ encouraged)

Keyboard aria in G major, BWV 988/1. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988.

B/EI Solo per il cembalo in E-flat major, BWV Anh. 129. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

B/EI Polonaise in G major, BWV Anh. 130. Johann Adolph Hasse.

B/EI Prelude in C major, BWV 846/1. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1

A single movement of the Keyboard suite in D minor, BWV 812. (French Suite #1)

A single movement of the Keyboard suite in C minor, BWV 813. (French Suite #2)

B/EI Movement in F major, BWV Anh. 131.

Aria "Warum betrübst du dich", BWV 516

(performed in person on piano; online entry with organ encouraged)

Chorale setting "Schaff's mit mir, Gott", BWV 514

B/EI Minuet in D minor, BWV Anh. 132

Aria "Willst du dein Herz mir schenken" (subtitled "Aria di Giovannini"), BWV 518

Chorale setting "Dir, dir Jehova, will ich singen" (solo), BWV 299

B/EI Song "Wie wohl ist mir, o Freund der Seelen", BWV 517

B/EI Aria "Gedenke doch, mein Geist, zurücke", BWV 509

B/EI Chorale "O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort", BWV 513

Our guest adjudicator this year was Jess Salek.

Jess has adjudicated several festivals and events, including WMTA Regional auditions, and more.

Jess studied piano with Cathy Kautsky (Lawrence University), Christina Dahl (SUNY-Stonybrook), and Christopher Taylor, (UW Madison), and other notable teachers. For more about Jess, check out his website (link below).