In 2026, sdpa students took all three top spots in the Under-18 division at the MTAC Southern Regional, the largest competition stage in Southern California.
2026 Chopin Festival, SDPA faculty and their students won 17 of the 35 prizes.
Chetan Tierra explains how he prepares students for competitions, from managing the emotional weight of a subjective judging process to a three-draft system for bringing a piece to a truly professional level. Learn his tunnel-and-lightposts approach to memory security, and why he tells students to forget competitions exist for half the year.
