Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any questions regarding the Festival that are not answered by reviewing the syllabus itself, or in these FAQs, feel free to contact programming@okmf.ca for more information.
Registration
Frequently asked questions regarding registration.
I'm new at this. How can I register for the Festival?
You register online for the Festival using our online entry form at registrations.okmf.ca, then following these steps, being sure to carefully read and follow any instructions:
Step 1: Click on the "Sign In" button at the top of the page.
Step 2: If you already have a user account, use the form on the left side of the page (on a desktop browser) or at the top of the page (on a mobile browser) to sign in to your account. Otherwise, use the form on the right side of the page (desktop) or bottom of the page (mobile) to create a new user account.
Step 3: Click on the "Participants" button to review the participant profiles linked to your user account. If you have one or more linked participants, double check their personal or contact details are correct. If you don't have any linked participants, you will want to create linked participant profiles for yourself, for your children or students, or for your ensembles.
Step 4: Choose one of the following:
- Click on "Syllabus" in the top menu (desktop browser) or in the top drop-down menu (mobile browser; tap on the three bars) to find the class lists for each discipline. Find a class you want to enter and click on the "Register" button to open up the registration form for that class.
- Click on "Registrations" in your profile and select "Add a Registration". This will open up a registration form in which you will be able to search up a class you wish to enter.
Reminder: You will only be able to create or modify participant profiles, or register in classes, while the registration period is open.
When are the registration due dates again?
Registration due dates are found on this page.
There is an error in my registration information. How can I get it fixed?
To correct an error in your registration, please contact the Festival at programming@okmf.ca.
I'm a little late registering this year. Can I register after registrations close?
The Festival permits late registrations after the close of the regular registration period for up to 20 days, with a scaling fee of $1 per day.
After this late registration period closes, late registrations will no longer be possible.
(Note that school-based large ensembles - bands, choirs, and orchestras - have registration periods that extend slightly later than all other participants.)
When do I need to submit scores and recordings?
Our Due Dates page indicates the due date for submitting recordings and other supplementary materials for any class or discipline that requires them.
I am registering in both violin and piano classes. How can I be sure they won't have classes at the same time?
If you've signed up for classes in multiple disciplines and there happens to be overlap between the dates those disciplines are planned to be scheduled, you can reach out to the Festival to bring the potential conflict to our attention.
Between warnings from participants and automated conflict checks in our online Festival management platform, we usually don't experience great difficulties handling potential or actual conflicts each year.
Is there a limit to the number of classes that I could register in?
You may register in any number of classes, though you may register in each class only once.
Can I register for classes in more than one grade?
Yes, with some restrictions:
– You may register in up to one competitive class in a higher level or age group than your own level of study or age.
– You may register in non-competitive classes in any level, in your own age cohort, or in an older age cohort.
I want to perform non-competitively. How do I do that?
You may register in any non-competitive class to perform non-competitively.
Can I perform repertoire that isn't in a Conservatory exam list?
The Festival offers many classes in which performers may play selections not found in Conservatory exam lists. Performers must still perform Conservatory repertoire to be eligible for Provincials.
Can I enter a small ensemble class and a solo class at the same time?
Yes, as long as you meet each class's requirements.
Can I be a member of multiple small ensembles?
Yes. Each ensemble must have distinct membership overall – for instance, you couldn't have two separate string quartets with all the same members – but some overlap is acceptable.
What is more, you could be a member of multiple ensembles in the same class! For instance, if you are in two separate piano or music theatre duets that both happened to register in the same class, that would be acceptable.
Can a small ensemble enter more than one class?
Yes.
Fees
Frequently asked questions regarding fees - registration fees and admission fees.
How can I pay the registration fees?
A solo performer can pay registration fees online using whatever methods are made available by the Festival - currently Stripe or e-transfer.
An ensemble can pay fees online as well. Ensembles linked to institutions such as schools are also permitted to pay via cheque.
I have to cancel my registration, how can I do that and can I get a refund?
If you cancel your registration in one or more classes during your early-bird or regular registration periods, you will be refunded the fees.
Afterwards, registration fees are non-refundable.
What is the cost for audiences to attend the Festival?
Admission is free for most of our classes. Admission is still required for Bands, Choirs, and Orchestras classes and for Trophy Playoff classes. Head over to our admission page to see the current fees.
Festival Operations
Frequently asked questions regarding Festival operations.
The rule regarding repeats isn't in the syllabus anymore?
Instead of having a specific rule regarding repeats and other score markings, the Festival has these general rules:
- If you're playing a "Conservatory" selection, you follow directions for observing repeats or score markings as indicated in the Conservatory exam syllabus from which you drew your repertoire.
- Otherwise, play your repertoire observing its score markings.
Each class in the Festival will tell you whether you must or may perform a "Conservatory" selection - that is, a repertoire selection specifically drawn from a Conservatory exam list.
In competitive classes, do performers receive feedback from the adjudicator even if they don't win?
All participants in the Festival receive a full adjudication from the adjudicator, regardless of whether they are performing competitively or not, and regardless of their standing in their class.
Will I receive more marks for performing from memory?
This Festival does not require performing from memory, and adjudicators are instructed not to take memorization into account, save as a tie-breaker of last resort.
How can I change the order in which I am playing my pieces?
You do not need to perform your pieces in the order in which they appear in your registration or in the schedule. If you want to perform your pieces in a different order:
- Live Performance: On the day you are scheduled to perform, when submitting scores to the front-of-house volunteers, all you have to do is tell the volunteer the order you want to play your pieces. You might use sticky notes to show the order.
- Virtual Performance: When performing virtually or when performing a recording of your pieces (such as for composition classes), simply prepare your video submission with pieces in the order you wish to perform them.
After the Festival
Frequently asked questions regarding Festival wrap-up.
What is the process for awarding scholarships?
Most scholarships are awarded based on the recommendations of the adjudicators. Adjudicators recommend performers for scholarships almost entirely at their discretion, providing a list of performers in an order in which the adjudicators wish to see scholarships awarded.
The Festival Rules & Regulations set out the minimum requirements for scholarships awarded by the Festival, subject to additional requirements in select disciplines.
Scholarship donors may specify conditions under which their scholarship is to be awarded, which can modify who is eligible for a given scholarship. This is a normal and acceptable process. For instance, if a scholarship is automatically awarded to the winner of a particular trophy, the adjudicator's recommendation is not required to award that scholarship. The Festival respects the wishes of donors in these matters to the maximum extent possible.
Each year, after the Festival, the Scholarship Committee awards scholarships based on a careful review of adjudicator recommendations, additional requirements from the rules, and any particular conditions set by donors.
If I performed a piece in a non-competitive class this year, can I perform it in a competitive class next year?
When performing in a competitive class, you may not choose repertoire selections that you have performed in the Festival in previous years.