Kansas American String
Teachers Association
Providing professional development, career building, and support
to Kansas’s string teacher community.
Our Organization
Kansas ASTA (KASTA) is an affiliate organization of the Kansas Music Educators Association and a state chapter of the American String Teachers Association. Founded in 1946, The American String Teachers Association is a membership organization for string and orchestra teachers and players, helping them to develop and refine their careers. ASTA’s members range from budding student teachers to artist-status performers. The organization provides a vast array of services, including instrument insurance, an award-winning scholarly journal, discounts on publications and resources, annual professional development opportunities, and access to a collegial network of colleagues from throughout the string profession.
Our Events
Intercollegiate
Orchestra
KASTA Middle-Level
Honor Orchestra
KASTA
Solo Competition
KASTA Private
Studio Summit
KASTA
Summer Conference
Summer Middle
School Orchestra
Spring 2026 KASTA Calendar
February
7th - Southern Plains Orchestra Festival - 5-12th (Andover)
25-26th - National ASTA Conference (San Francisco, CA)
26-28th - KMEA ISW
26th - Solo Competition: 3:00-7:00
27th - KASTA Luncheon
January
17th - All-State Honor Orchestra Auditions
23rd - KASTA Solo Competition entry deadline
April
11th - Regional Music Festivals (2nd weekend)
15-16th - State Music Festivals (Large Groups)
18th - KASTA Middle Level Honor Orchestra, Hutchinson
25th - State Solo/Ensemble Music Festivals
30th -Submission deadline for the Spring magazine
March
1st - KASTA Middle Level Honor Orchestra - nominations due
10th - Friends University Orchestra Invitational for High Schools, Wichita
28th - Regional Music Festivals (1st weekend)
May
Find some time for musical self-care!
June
dates TBD
String Leadership Institute, Manhattan
Delano Summer Youth Orchestras, Wichita
Camp Allegro, Wichita
High Plains Music Camp @ Fort Hays, Hays
Midwest Music Camp, Lawrence
July
dates TDB
ASTA Virtual Strings Summit
Summer Middle School Orchestra nomination deadline
10-11th KASTA Summer Conference & Summer Middle Level Orchestra, Lawrence
KC Bass Workshop, Kansas City
Missing something? Email dates to KASTA Webmaster cfoster@usd345.com
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KASTA has organized a committee to review and revise the All-State Orchestra Audition Excerpts. The process is now completed, and changes and updates will be posted by the end of March 2026.
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Please consider nominating your awesome colleagues for a KASTA award. The categories are: Outstanding Private Studio Teacher, Certificate of Merit, Distinguished Service, Young Teacher of the Year, and KASTA Hall of Fame. All nominees must be KASTA members except for the Distinguished Service Award. If you’d like to check on the membership of someone you have in mind to nominate, go to astastrings.org. Log in using your email address, and click on the “members” tab at the top. To nominate a member, click on the “Awards” tab in this site.
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Check out our new newsletter created by our newsletter editor Kathy Mans. If you have anything you would like included in the newsletter, contact Kathy Mans at mansk@usd385.org.