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The Pickering GTA Music Festival

provides opportunities for amateur musicians to perform, receive adjudications, and compete. As a member of the Ontario Music Festivals Association, students may advance to the Provincial Music Festival. This Festival is open to all students and observers. A variety of music styles including classical, jazz, rock, folk, broadway, choral, band, and orchestral music is heard every year at the Festival including all instruments and singing. Our goal is to encourage musical development through performance, competition and adjudication.

About Us

A Message From The Executive Director

Welcome to the Pickering GTA Music Festival. This is our 24th year, located in Pickering, Ontario. We will be offering the Festival both live and virtually this year. We offer classes for pop and jazz vocal, show choirs, English and French Speech Arts, electric guitar as well as all the traditional Classical classes. As a member Festival of the Ontario Music Festivals Association, we send as many candidates as possible on to the Provincial Competitions. 58 possible candidates attended the Provincials in 2023 and 24 of these talented students won placements at that level. Classes will be offered both virtually and live at Provincials as well. Live classes will be held in Burlington and Oakville in 2024. Candidates are chosen from grades 1 and up in all instruments, singing, music theatre, speech arts, chamber, small ensembles, choral, band and orchestra classes. Provincials have separate classes for upper and lower strings. Violins and violas in the upper and cello and bass in lower strings. This will allow more string players to attend Provincials and provide them with an adjudicator that is more specific to their needs. Please make sure you read all the Rules and Regulations regarding these classes at www.omfa.ca. There are changes to these every year. Certificates and scholarships are given at this local level and at Provincials.

When the applications start arriving in my mailbox, I am excited to see returning performers, wondering what they are playing this year, and to see the new people entering. I look forward to hearing every performance. This will be a year of learning new ways to share our music. Please note the sections on our home page with the rules for submitting your video and application and tips on producing your video.

Provincials now accepts competitors from grade 1 and up and we are now permitted 3 entries per grade and discipline each! There will be new classes offered this year for Pop Piano, Pop Voice, Pop Strings, Pop Guitar and Pop Brass and Woodwinds. Amateur Adult classes will continue this year. New Musical Theatre Classes have also been added.These will include Songs from the Screen and More that will include repertoire for cabaret, revues, movies or TV.Please check out the age requirements for these. New non-western strings classes will be available Please look at all that OMFA is offering this year at www.omfa.ca.

I have been organizing this Festival by myself for the last 24 years and I have much to learn as well. I have added new classes this year and look forward to hearing your suggestions for any other classes that you may have. Donations are gratefully accepted for our scholarship fund.

All my thanks for the continuing support of families and teachers that have become friends over the years. I look forward to once again seeing you at the festival or watching your videos.

Please contact me with any questions you may have. Best wishes in your musical training.Wishing everyone good health and joy in their music making in 2024!

Martha Gregory,

Executive Director

A Message