PARTICIPATION BY INVITATION
Participation at Musicfest Canada’s “The Nationals” is by invitation under the following procedure:
An Affiliated Festival Director of MusicFest Canada will issue an “Official Invitation to Perform” to an Ensemble whose performance meets or exceeds their Festival’s criteria and performance standards.
A Division Chairman may also issue an “Official Invitation to Perform” to any ensemble whose performance meets or exceeds the criteria established by the Chairman on behalf of the National Festival.
Registering for MusicFest Canada must be completed online at www.musicfest.ca. The Registration form is due 10 days after the Affiliated Festival or March 31st of the Festival year, whichever comes first. A $599.00 non-refundable deposit/minimum registration fee for each registration form for each ensemble must be mailed to the MusicFest Canada Registration Office, 311 Main St., Box 1990, Exeter, ON N0M 1S7 (please include school name and Musicfest ID#) within ten days. Ensembles will not be registered until the deposits are received. Ensembles submitting deposits and/or forms past the March 31st deadline may be rejected or their participation limited by the Festival.
Ensembles using the second year of their Invitation must complete their online registration and mail a $599.00 deposit for each ensemble by November 1st of the Festival year. Ensembles submitting deposits and/or registering past the deadline may be rejected or their participation limited by the Festival.
The MusicFest Office will in turn issue a “Confirmation of Performance” by May 1st of the Festival year.
It is expected that all registrants using the 2nd year of their invitation attend their local regional festival and demonstrate a high standard of performance.
TWO-YEAR INVITATION
The “Official Invitation to Perform” will be valid for two MusicFest Canada Festivals, the present festival year and the following year. Ensembles attending the Festival will be required to conform to the current Rules and Regulations. Ensembles using the 2nd year of their invitation may make a change of Class (but not Category). The current Rules and Regulations will be available on the MusicFest website at www.musicfest.ca in September of the Festival year.
MusicFest Canada reserves the right to verify that all ensembles registered to participate meet the required performance standards.
INVITATION BY SPECIAL AUDITION
Ensembles wishing to participate in MusicFest Canada’s “The Nationals” and demonstrably unable to be evaluated at a sanctioned Affiliated Festival may apply for an Invitation by submitting an audio recording via the Audio Audition online system. The decision of that Division Chairman will be final. Distance from an Affiliated Festival and results of consultation with Affiliated Festival officials where applicable will be considered in the decision process.
INTERNATIONAL ENSEMBLES
Ensembles residing outside of Canada with a valid “Official Invitation to Perform” may participate in all divisions, categories and classes of the Festival.
REGISTRATION
All registrations are to be submitted through on the MusicFest Canada website. Each valid Official Invitation will have an invitation code required for registration.
Live Festival: Each member of a participating Ensemble, including Directors, in any one Division of the Festival is required to pay a participation fee of $102.00. Individual participants performing in two or more ensembles will pay an additional $45.00 for each ensemble beyond the first one in which they are registered. Ensemble Directors and Chaperones only pay once.
School groups auditing the Festival (i.e., a group that has not qualified to be adjudicated at the Festival but who wish to attend and observe) must pay a one-time Auditor fee of $40.00 per person. This fee enables the group to watch clinics and workshops, and attend educoncerts and evening concerts for the whole period of the Festival. A limited number of Auditor passes are available. In addition, individuals may register for the festival by purchasing single day passes at $40.00 per day. Restrictions are similar to Auditor passes and a limited number of day passes are available.
Recording Festival: Registration fees are flat rates, and are determined by the size of the ensemble, as follows:
- 2-6 performers: the minimum fee of $599.00 will apply
- 7-12 performers: $899.00
- 13-22 performers: $1099.00
- 23-41 performers: $1299.00
- 42+ performers: $1499.00
Registration fees for participating international ensembles virtually reflect the additional expenses associated with translations, international communications and production of awards, as follows:
- 2-6 performers: the minimum fee of $999.00 will apply
- 7-12 performers: $1299.00
- 13-22 performers: $1499.00
- 23-41 performers: $1699.00
- 42+ performers: $1899.00
PARAMETERS FOR SUBMITTIONS TO THE RECORDING FESTIVAL
Ensembles registering for the Recording Festival must upload their recording through their registration page by April 1st of the Festival year. Recordings must be:
- Video format (not simply an audio track)
- No mixing, balancing or other effects (ie. reverb) is permitted.
TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION (Live Festival)
All Ensembles are required to use the accommodations contracted by MusicFest Canada for the Festival. Local Ensembles who do not require accommodations must sign a waiver form included in the Registration Package. Ensembles must contact Ellison Travel and Tours at 519-235-2000/800-265-7022.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROPERTY (Live Festival)
MusicFest is not responsible for any loss, damage or theft of instruments or other property of participants or participating ensembles.
MUSIC SCORES (Recording Festival)
All directors entering ensembles in the Recording Festival must upload scores and recordings of all performance pieces through their online registration by April 1st of the Festival year.
RECORDINGS
MusicFest Canada is not authorized to share audio/video recordings of participating ensembles with other than Ensemble Directors registered and participating at MusicFest. Links to each of their ensemble’s recordings are emailed to all MusicFest participating Directors.
STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE
In the Live Festival, Gold, Silver and Bronze plaques and written comments will be available directly following the Ensemble’s clinic, providing the adjudicators have completed their deliberations and the results have been released. In the Recording Festival, the Standard of Performance plaque will be mailed to the school. Adjudicator comments will be sent to the director.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE
Standards of Performance will be provided to each Ensemble following their clinic and posted to the MusicFest Canada website generally within one hour of an Ensemble’s adjudicated performance. All results are available to the general public on the Internet and through social media.
CLINICS, WORKSHOPS AND CONCERTS
CLINICS (Live Festival) – Each ensemble will receive a clinic with one or more of the Adjudicators/Evaluators immediately following their adjudicated performance. The length and nature of the clinic will vary depending on the category, class and performance level of the ensemble. Attendance at clinics (unless held directly on a MusicFest performance stage) is restricted to registered participants, directors, auditors and chaperones only.
CLINICS (Recording Festival) – Each ensemble will receive a one-hour clinic with one of the Adjudicators/Evaluators. After their ensemble’s performance has been adjudicated, directors will be contacted by MusicFest to schedule their one-hour clinic. The nature of the clinic will vary depending on the category, class and performance level of the ensemble. As part of their registration process, directors in the Recording Festival must indicate which platform (ie ZOOM, Microsoft Teams, GoogleMeet) they wish to utilize for
EDUCONCERTS – MusicFest will host a series of educoncerts, which will be interactive mini concerts performed on one of the main performance stages each day of the Festival.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
The Festival may award recognition to individuals following the completion of the Festival Program. The Board of Directors reserves the right to determine the nature of the recognition, the criteria for awarding recognition and the number of groups or individuals to be recognized.
RULES ENFORCEMENT
The Chairman or Vice Chairman for each performance area will enforce all Festival Rules and Regulations. Please note that the maximum stage time for any performing ensemble is 30 minutes.
The Division Chairman’s decisions in consultation with the staff and the Executive Director will be considered final in all disputed cases.
CONDUCT (Live Festival)
The conduct of a participating Ensemble and its individual members is the responsibility of the individual Director. All Musicfest participants are expected to abide by the Musicfest “Code of Conduct”. Many ensembles will find accommodations in hotels and will be expected to demonstrate proper behaviour as if they are actually on the Festival site. Problems and violations brought to the attention of the respective Division Chairman will be dealt with appropriately and may result in “Suspension” or “Dismissal”. (See Suspension, Dismissal and Appeal section, below).
An Ensemble or its individual members interfering in any manner with another group’s performance by means such as practicing, making noise or being disruptive are subject to “Dismissal”. (See Suspension, Dismissal and Appeal section, below)
SUSPENSION, DISMISSAL AND APPEAL
MusicFest Canada reserves the right to enact either of the following two sanctions for violations of the Rules and Regulations and/or code of behaviour:
SUSPENSION – An Ensemble which has been suspended shall be deemed ineligible to receive any Festival Standards of Performance or awards. The individual members will be ineligible for scholarships, bursaries, cash awards and “Honour Recognition” awards. Suspension shall result from such infractions as flagrant time violations, age or affiliation infractions, illegal substitution and tampering with sound and stage equipment or submission of recordings which are not what they purport to be.
DISMISSAL – An Ensemble which has been dismissed will lose all rights and privileges of participation in MusicFest Canada and will forfeit all registration fees. Dismissal will result either from conduct which is perceived to be detrimental to the aims of MusicFest Canada or substantial interference with another Ensemble’s performance.
APPEAL – Appeal must be made in writing to the respective Division Chairman who, in consultation with members of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors, will review the sanction and in turn notify the Ensemble Director of the decision. All decisions will be final.
SAFETY & ASSISTANCE
Participants are governed by the safety policies of their own school board or district. MusicFest also requires the following practices:
Performance venues, warm up and clinic rooms, workshops and all other venue space used by MusicFest shall comply with municipal fire occupancy regulations and/or MusicFest or venue signage.
While “backstage” or in areas not normally accessible to the public, all participants are to be accompanied by their respective teachers, directors, or chaperones.
Participants with disabilities are asked to contact the National Office prior to the Festival so appropriate personal support may be provided by the staff for the adjudicated performance and related activities.
HONOUR RECOGNITION
All participating Ensemble Directors are encouraged to nominate one Honour Candidate from each Ensemble participating at MusicFest Canada. In the case of larger ensembles such as choirs, concert bands and orchestras, the adjudicators may not consider any individuals without a nomination from the Director.
Each student awarded “Honour Recognition” will receive an honour plaque and their name will be posted on the MusicFest Canada website and distributed to national and local media. In the Live Festival, the plaque will be presented either immediately following the Ensemble’s performance or during the clinic. In the Recording Festival, the honour plaque will be mailed to the school with the Standard of Performance plaque.
EVENING CONCERTS – All registered participants are invited and encouraged to attend the concerts which feature world renowned artists and ensembles. Most concerts require advanced ticketing as seating is limited. Admission to concerts is free of charge but restricted to participants, chaperones and auditors only. Tickets will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis, based on the date of registration. Tickets will not be reserved until the appropriate forms have been received by the Registration Office in Exeter and all fees have been paid.
MEDIA/SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE
Local and/or national media, including social media, radio stations, television stations, newspapers and magazine writers and photographers, will be invited to attend MusicFest Canada. This includes live streaming, videographers and photographers to archive and capture the festival in its entirety. Registering for the Festival constitutes the Ensembles’ agreement and royalty-free permission to MusicFest to make such recordings and to permit such media coverage unless the Festival is notified in advance in writing. The archived livestream of each ensemble’s 2025 performance will be available on the MusicFest website after the Festival.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Given all the advances in technology, MusicFest Canada no longer offers photographic services at The Nationals. MusicFest permits audience members to take photographs (camera, cell phone, etc.) after the conclusion of the ensemble’s performance.
ON SITE PERFORMANCE STORAGE (Live Festival)
Ensembles will be allowed to store their instruments on site in an area supervised by MusicFest personnel only for the time during which they have been scheduled to be in the warm-up, performance and clinic rooms. Ensembles must be accompanied by their directors, chaperones, or other supervisors at all times while in the storage area. Ensembles must arrange for storage of equipment at all other times either on their bus or at their hotel, unless prior arrangements have been made with the MusicFest office.
ON SITE REHEARSALS (Live Festival)
The Festival will not provide rehearsal rooms for any ensemble performing at MusicFest. Ensembles will only be allowed to rehearse on site in a supervised warm-up room approximately one half-hour before their scheduled performance time.
SCHEDULING OF PERFORMANCES (Live Festival)
Ensembles may request a specific day and time to perform. Performance times may be allocated on a first come, first serve basis, once the Registration Form and Deposit have been received. Note that these should be considered requests only, and MusicFest will not be able to guarantee assignment of each requested performance date and time.
SCHEDULING OF PERFORMANCES (Recording Festival)
Recording entries can be submitted at any time through the musicfest.ca website up to April 15th of the Festival year. The Festival will broadcast all recorded ensemble performances as part of the Festival schedule.
EMAIL CONTACT
MusicFest Canada will contact all participants via email with confirmation of performances, financial information, scheduling information, educoncerts, workshops, concert tickets, stage locations and equipment and other information that MusicFest feels will either enhance your Festival experience or help improve your music program. By registering for the Festival, you are entering into an ‘existing business relationship’ with MusicFest with implied consent to contact you by email, prior to, during and following the Festival, in accordance with Canada’s Anti-SPAM legislation. Once you have accepted an Official Invitation to Perform at MusicFest and students are registered, MusicFest may contact you and such students to facilitate, complete and confirm registration and Festival details and participation, and may provide registered students with notification of information about the Festival as described above.
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