The festival will be offering both live and virtual options this year. The committee felt this was important to do, in case conditions were amiable to the live performing opportunity in April 2021. However, in light of the uncertainty, it seemed good to also prepare for a virtual festival. Other good reasons to hold a virtual festival are that the 2021 Provincials are scheduled to be virtual. In addition, many are preparing to take examinations virtually. While acknowledging that the live experience cannot be entirely replaced by the virtual experience, the committee hopes to offer the Kitchener-Waterloo community both live and virtual options. Please review the details below prior to registration so that you can pick the option that is best for you. The same adjudicators will be adjudicating both live and virtual festival classes. Live and virtual classes will receive placements in separate classes. However, both live and virtual class participants will have equal opportunity to receive nominations and awards. Contact if you have any questions.
NEW: For both live and virtual streams of the 2021 festival, participants may use recordings for accompaniment.
LIVE FESTIVAL
Live classes will be offered for the following divisions: piano, violin, cello, and non-competitive workshops for these instruments. We regret that vocal, guitar, wind and brass classes, and ensemble classes will not be offered at the live festival this year. We hope you will consider the virtual festival option.
Registration for the 2021 live festival will take place from December 1st, 2020 until January 22nd, 2021. Late registration will last from January 23-31, 2020 and is subject to a $10 late fee. The schedule will be published on March 1, 2021. The program will be available online only this year. The festival classes will be scheduled for April 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29.
VIRTUAL FESTIVAL
Virtual classes will be offered in all instrument and vocal divisions this year. Public and private school groups are welcome to enter the class "School Entry" (see syllabus for details). In short, participants will submit video recordings of their performances. Just like a regular festival, participants will be sorted into classes of no more than eight participants. The performances will be organized into a festival schedule, which will include links to the performance videos and instructions of when and how to log into a platform in which the adjudications will take place virtually. At this time, we are planning to use Zoom.
Registration for the virtual festival will be from December 1, 2020, until March 31, 2021. Participants will be required to upload a link to a YouTube video containing their performance entry at the time of registration. Specific details on how to do that will be provided. On April 10th, 2021, a virtual festival schedule will be posted indicating when each class's virtual adjudication will be held. In these adjudications, the adjudicator will address each class with their comments and announce the class results. Comments will be posted in each YouTube entry's comment section prior to the zoom workshop. The official comment sheet, signed by the adjudicator, as well as the participant's festival placement ribbon will be mailed to them after the workshop is completed.
