Date: June 30, 2026

Final Statement of the Reading Music Teachers Association

Founded 1926
Affiliated with MTNA/PMTA 1999

Merger with Reading Musical Foundation June 2026

A Letter for the Historical Record

After one hundred years of service to music education in Berks County, effective June 30, 2026, the Reading Music Teachers Association (RMTA) ceased to be an independent 501c3 nonprofit educational corporation and terminated its affiliation with the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association (PMTA).

RMTA was founded in 1926 by a small group of independent piano teachers who sought fellowship, professional development, and opportunities for their students to share music in the community. For decades, RMTA flourished as a volunteer-driven organization, organizing student festivals, recitals, and teacher enrichment programs that strengthened the musical life of the Reading area.

In 1999, RMTA became an affiliate of MTNA and PMTA to connect its members to broader professional resources, certification programs, and state/national conferences. This affiliation provided many years of mutual benefit and collegial support. However, as the landscape of local volunteer organizations has evolved, sustaining independent operations became increasingly challenging.

Recognizing both the value of its legacy and the need for continuity, RMTA voted to transfer its programs and archives to the Reading Musical Foundation (RMF), where it continues as a committee of RMF. This new structure preserves RMTA’s mission—supporting music teachers and students—within an established community arts organization that shares its values and purpose.

The Reading Music Teachers Association gratefully acknowledges the Reading Musical Foundation for its longstanding partnership and its commitment to ensuring that RMTA’s educational and performance traditions will continue under its stewardship. RMF’s support provides a secure home for RMTA’s century of work and opens the door to new collaborative opportunities that will benefit students, teachers, and the greater musical community for years to come.

Through this transition, RMTA’s history, awards, and student programs will remain part of Reading’s cultural fabric, ensuring that the work begun by local teachers in 1926 continues to inspire future generations.

We extend deep gratitude to the countless teachers, officers, and volunteers whose dedication made RMTA a vital part of Berks County’s musical community for a full century.