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Festival Classes

  1. Each of the Festival’s disciplines includes the classes in which participants may perform. Each class has a name and unique identifying class code, such as, for instance, PN101 Piano Preparatory RCM List A.
  2. Each Festival class is overseen by an adjudicator who assesses each performance within the class. The adjudicators for each Festival year will be announced on the Festival website and in the Festival Programme. The Festival reserves the right to change adjudicators, or to nominate additional adjudicators, as required.
  3. The adjudicator provides a written adjudication to each participant, and a verbal adjudication in any class that is undertaken live. Each participant will also receive a certificate commemorating their participation in the Festival. Individual members of a duet, trio, or small ensemble will each receive a certificate, while the teacher or director of any large ensemble will receive a single certificate awarded to the ensemble as a whole.
  4. Decisions of an adjudicator with respect to marks and standing within a class are final.

Standard Classes

  1. Except in classes specifically designated as skills classes (defined below), participants choose repertoire in advance of the Festival and prepare it for performance.
  2. Festival classes may be adjudicated on a competitive, non-competitive, or participation basis. Festival classes are adjudicated competitively unless otherwise specified.
  3. Competitive Classes: The adjudicator provides certificates with marks and, if warranted, placement within the class — first, second, or third place. The adjudicator will announce the names of each participant that places first, second, or third. Each class, or each section of a split class, may have a single first place award and multiple second or third place awards. A class may go without the awarding of first, second, or third placement.
  4. Non-Competitive Classes: The adjudicator provides certificates with gold, silver, or bronze standings. Standings are based on the technical and performance level expected for a class: a bronze standing is awarded for a performance that meets expectations, a silver standing is awarded for a performance that exceeds expectations, and a gold standing is awarded for a performance that greatly exceeds expectations. Each class may have any number of gold, silver, and/or bronze standings awarded, including none.
  5. Participation Classes: The adjudicator provides certificates of participation in the Festival.
  6. In classes in which marks are not announced or indicated on participants’ certificates, they may be recorded by the adjudicator as required, such as for the purpose of meeting the requirements to recommend a participant for Provincials, or for the purpose of meeting the requirements of some other award.

Skills Classes

  1. In a skills class, participants showcase their musical skills outside the context of a prepared performances. Skills classes, which consist of sight reading and quick study classes, are adjudicated competitively as defined above.
  2. Sight Reading: In a sight reading class, you receive the class's repertoire immediately before you are to perform it.
  3. Quick Study: In a quick study class, you receive the class’s repertoire one (1) business day before the class’s scheduled date, except in the Classical Voice discipline, in which case you receive the repertoire two (2) business days in advance. The Festival will make such repertoire available by whatever means it deems appropriate.
  4. You may not receive any assistance from any outside source — such as, for instance, video recordings found online — when preparing repertoire for a skills class.