​2026 COMPETITION RULES 

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The Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition was established in 1995 to honor the memory of Elnora Harman Stickley, to reward talented pianists in the Michiana area, and to provide an excellent venue for young pianists to strengthen their performance skills while gaining constructive feedback from highly qualified judges. It is a yearly event sponsored by the South Bend Area Music Teachers Association and underwritten by the Elnora Hartman Stickley Scholarship Fund. Competing students are divided into six age categories.  Winning and Honorable Mention students are awarded monetary scholarships to further their musical education.

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PLEASE CAREFULLY READ ALL RULES OF COMPETITION

All ages indicated are as of March 7, 2026. No collegiate competitors are allowed.

All auditions will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2026

 

Audition times will depend upon enrollment. Scheduling will be randomly generated by computer.​

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Division I, ages 7 & under 

*4-minute time limit

 

Division II, ages 8 & 9 

*4-minute time limit

 

Division III, ages 10 & 11

*5-minute time limit

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Division IV, ages 12 & 13     

*5-minute time limit

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Division V,  ages 14 & 15     

*6-minute time limit

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Division VI, ages 16 - 18      

*7-minute time limit

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**This is maximum performance time during the competition. You may program shorter or longer pieces if desired (see #3 under Rules of Competition).

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| Rules of Competition |

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1. Students or teachers must reside in one of the following counties: Berrien, Cass, and St. Joseph, Michigan; Allen, Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marshall, Noble, St. Joseph, and Starke Counties, Indiana, or can be students of South Bend Area Music Teachers Association members, regardless of where the teacher or student resides.

2. Music must be memorized. A score with numbered measures must be provided for judges at the time of check-in. Only
students with scores will be eligible to win an award.

3. Cuts in longer pieces will be left to the discretion of the judges and should not be made by the teacher or student.

 

4. Only original solos are allowed. No arrangements or concerti will be heard, with the exception of Liszt transcriptions.

 

5. No more than two pieces per student will be accepted. This applies to movements of sonatinas, sonatas, and suites. MTNA
guidelines will be followed as to what constitutes a piece.

 

6. Photocopied music is not allowed unless a letter from the publisher or the copyright holder is submitted.

 

7. The application fee must be submitted electronically in order to be considered for entry into the competition. The application includes a nonrefundable $25 entry fee per member student, and $50 per student for nonmembers. Applicants are also responsible for paying any additional processing fees.

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8. Scheduling will be randomly generated by computer. There will be no changes of student order or time slot.

 

9. Competition Awards will be as follows:

Winners: Division VI $200; Division V $175; Division IV $150; Division III $125; Division II $100; Division I $75

Honorable Mentions: Division VI $100, Division V $90, Division IV $80; Division III $70; Division II $60; Division I $50.

 

10. To receive Stickley Competition monetary awards, Winners are required to perform in, and Honorable Mentions are
required to attend the Winners Recital.

 

11. Participating teachers will be called to work at the competition. If a participating teacher is not available, he/she
must provide a substitute worker (see application form for more details).

 

12. If a student has been studying with their current teacher for less than six consecutive months prior to March 1, the name of
the previous teacher must be provided. Both teachers will be recognized in the printed program should that student win an
award.

 

13. Repertoire submitted on application form may not be changed.

 

14. Repertoire previously performed in this competition may not be repeated by the same performer.

 

15. Committee and judges’ decisions are final. If you have any questions or concerns regarding a decision, please contact the competition chair, Krysta Hawkely Hartman, at khawkley@gmail.com 

 

16. It is the responsibility of the teacher, parent, or guardian to abide by all rules and regulations for this competition. Failure
to meet this responsibility will make the student ineligible to receive an award.

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| Competition Judges |

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Division I, II & III

Ellis Anderson, Saint Mary's college, IN

Dr. Siwon Kim, Bethel College, IN 

Dr. Natasha Stojanovska, Studio Teacher, IL

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Division IV, V &VI

Dr. Sookkyung Cho, Grand Valley State University, MI

Dr. Daniel Kuehler, Hillsdale College, MI

Dr. Daniel En-Hao Lin, Indiana Wesleyan University, IN 

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| Questions? |

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Krysta Hawkley Hartman, Competition Chair 

khawkley@gmail.com 

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Applications must be submitted electronically by February 5, 2026.