Conference
Join Us for a Celebration of Music and Learning!
Our Annual Conference is where passionate educators come together to connect, grow, and be inspired—don’t miss out on the workshops, performances, and community that make it unforgettable!
2026 COLORADO STATE MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
Saturday, October 10 & Sunday, October 11
Armstrong Center, Colorado Christian University
CSMTA is excited to welcome you to the Colorado Christian University Armstrong Center for the 2026 CSMTA Conference,
which will be held on Saturday - Sunday, October 10-11, 2026.
The conference will feature renowned guest artist … multiple master classes, and engaging pedagogical sessions designed to support and enhance all levels and types of teaching represented by CSMTA membership. Similar to the 2025 CSMTA Conference, the MTNA competition will run concurrent with the conference on Saturday, October 10th. The Awards Gala will be held at the University of Denver on Sunday, October 11th at 5:00 pm. …
We invite you to submit an application to present at the 2026 CSMTA Conference:
Call for Conference Presentation Proposals - Application Deadline April 30
2026 CSMTA Commissioned Composer Award: TBD
Call for Conference Poster Presentation Proposals - Application Deadline September 15
2026 Conference Contacts
• VP for Conferences: Amy Lee, NCTM
• Program Chair: Jennifer Hayghe
• Facilities Chair: Aaron Stampfl
• Exhibits and Showcases: Lizzie French
• Conference Advertisement Chair: Lizzie French
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Click on the BOLD links below for more information!
Conference Registration
Conference Schedule Overview
General Membership Meeting Agenda, Motions, Minutes
Advisory Board Meeting Agenda, Motions, Minutes
Masterclass Programs
MTNA / Rising Stars Winners Concert Program
Guest Artist Recital Program
Conference Book
2026 Conference Featured Guests
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Kevin Chance serves as Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Alabama where he coordinates the Gloria Narramore Moody Piano Area. As soloist and collaborator, Kevin has performed throughout the United States and abroad, and recent orchestral appearances have included Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto and Triple Concerto, Bernstein’s Age of Anxiety, Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Finzi's Eclogue, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, concertos by Ravel and Grieg, and Saint-Saëns’s Le Carnaval des animaux.
He also serves are principal keyboard of the Tuscaloosa Symphony. Performing regularly as a chamber musician, Kevin has been a member of the Semplice Duo with flutist Cristina Ballatori for the past 25 years, and their performances have included world premiers at the National Flute Association Conference as well as recitals in Wisconsin, Texas, Colorado, Virginia, Alabama, and New York as well as Mexico, South America, and Europe. In 2025, they released Night Surrendering to Dawn, a disc of American flute music on the Centaur label.
Kevin has recently received a number of accolades for his teaching. Most recently, he was named a 2025 Foundation Fellow of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and he was named as a Leadership Board Faculty Fellow for the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences for excellence in research and teaching. In 2019, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Steinway and Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame in New York City and was named 2019 Music Educator of the Year by the Arts Council of Tuscaloosa. Additionally, he was named the 2015 Teacher of the Year by the Alabama Music Teachers Association. Kevin maintains an award-winning studio of college and pre-college students, and his students have garnered awards at the national and international levels. In demand as a clinician and adjudicator, he frequently presents at the MTNA National Conference as well as state and local music teacher organizations throughout the country. In January 2021, Kevin served as the headliner clinician for the University of Georgia Piano Symposium, and each summer, he serves on the faculty of the New Orleans Piano Institute.
Kevin holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Louisiana State University, and Birmingham-Southern College, and his former teachers include Barry Snyder, Constance Knox Carroll, Anne Koscielny, Ann Schein, William DeVan, and Betty Sue Shepherd. Kevin recently served as President of the American Matthay Association for Piano, and he currently serves as President of MTNA for the 2025-2027 biennium. He also recently joined the roster of Alfred Publishing with his first three-volume series co-authored with Ingrid Clarefield, Rare Recital Treasures.
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BIO coming
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TBD
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Will be released later 2026
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Registration Deadline - September 12th
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Hotel Information
The Hyatt House Lakewood at Belmar is providing a room block and discounted rate for CSMTA members attending the conference.
Hyatt House Lakewood at Belmar 7310 W Alaska Drive, Lakewood, CO 80226 Tel: 720-356-1024
Please use the following booking link to reserve a room by September 18, 2026:
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This fee includes the following:
Two chairs
One 6’ table ($25 per extra table requested)
Two Name Tags
You will be included in an Exhibitors Insert in the conference booklet
Internet: You will have access to the Colorado Christian University Guest WiFi; we cannot guarantee internet bandwidth/speed..
Power: We will not have extra extension cords. Please be prepared and bring your own extension/power cords.
Lodging and Parking
See section above under "2026 Accommodations and 2026 Parking"
Liability and Insurance
Each exhibitor assumes the entire responsibility and liability for losses, damages, and claims arising out of injury or damages to displays, equipment, and other property brought upon Colorado Christian University premises; and shall indemnify, and defend, and hold Colorado Christian University and CSMTA, and their officers or owners, affiliated companies, agents, servants, employees, and directors harmless against all claims, losses, and damages. Each exhibitor is responsible for knowing and meeting legal requirements.
CONTACT FOR CONFERENCE EXHIBITORS/VENDORSLizzie French
2026 CSMTA CONFERENCE BOOKLET ADVERTISERS
Lizzie French
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Click here for parking instructions on campus!