Fifth grader Mary Schieber of Caledonia performed at the Minneapolis Convention Center on June 6 as one of the 2026 winners of the annual piano contest sponsored by the Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA).
The 11-year-old was among the nearly 600 students who performed in the concert that consisted of students playing four-hand music in groups of up to 28 at a time on grand pianos under the direction of a conductor in the venue that seats 3,400 people. The performers were required to attend rehearsals in Bloomington in preparation for the event.
The young musician earned the right to perform in the association’s 89th annual concert by scoring in the top one-third through two levels of competition. The first round was held in January in Rochester (with a virtual option) and the second one was held in March at the U of M, Twin Cities. The contest consists of students competing in age groups and each performing a memorized piece before a music critic.
This is the second consecutive year that Mary qualified for the event. She is the daughter of Bobbie and Kim Schieber and the student of Rose Weichert, all of Caledonia.
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