What is Festival 2026?
Celebrating Talent and Inspiring Growth
Festival 2026 is a week-long celebration of music, performance, and personal growth. Open to students of all ages and skill levels, the festival features categories in piano, voice, guitar, percussion, and orchestra/band.
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Unlike traditional competitions, Festival 2026 emphasizes individual progress over peer comparison. Each performer is evaluated on their own development and receives constructive feedback from professional adjudicators. Participants also have the chance to win exciting prizes and scholarships while gaining meaningful performance experience.
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Festival 2026 is more than a competition—it’s an opportunity to inspire confidence, celebrate growth, and bring communities together through music.
Your Guide to Festival 2026
The Festival 2026 syllabus is your complete guide to the event. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to know about:
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Performance categories and repertoire guidelines
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Evaluation criteria and adjudication process
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Festival schedule and registration details
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Prizes, scholarships, and recognition
Reviewing the syllabus is the best way to prepare, set expectations, and ensure you get the most out of your Festival 2026 experience.
What to expect
Growth, Guidance, and Great Performances!
Diverse Performance Categories:
All instruments and students of all skill levels have a chance to perform in a range of performance categories.
Masterclasses Before Every Session:
Each session begins with a short, focused masterclass led by our expert adjudicators to inspire and prepare students for their performance.
​Professional Adjudication and Feedback:
Our highly qualified adjudicators provide each participant with detailed written and verbal feedback, offering valuable insights to help them refine their craft.
Scoring and Certificates:
Every performance is scored, and all participants will receive a certificate featuring their score—an achievement that highlights their hard work and musical growth.
How Does Festival 2026 Work?
Select Your Category
Festival 2026 offers a variety of categories for piano, guitar, voice, percussion, and orchestra/band, with options matched to Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) levels.
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Choose Your Category– Select the category that best reflects your current RCM level and musical progress.
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Work with Your Teacher – Discuss your repertoire with your teacher to decide on the most appropriate piece and category for your performance.
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Prepare with Confidence – Review the Festival 2026 Syllabus for full guidelines, repertoire suggestions, and requirements.
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Selecting the right category ensures that you can perform with confidence and get the most out of your Festival 2026 experience.
Participate in the Masterclass
Before each competition session, the adjudicator will spend approximately 10-15 minutes offering expert guidance on various aspects of musical performance.
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Topics may include:
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Technical Mastery: Tips on improving technique for specific instruments or voice types.
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Interpretation: How to bring emotional depth and personality to a musical piece.
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Stage Presence: Advice on how to handle nerves and present confidently on stage.
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Musical Expression: Exploring dynamics, phrasing, and articulation to elevate the performance.
Perform Your Selected Piece
Take the stage and share the music you’ve prepared with confidence. Festival 2026 gives every student the chance to perform in a professional setting and bring their chosen piece to life.
When you perform, you’ll:
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Showcase your technique, expression, and artistry
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Experience the excitement of playing on stage in front of an audience and adjudicator
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Celebrate your hard work and musical progress
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This is your moment to shine and enjoy the performance experience at the heart of Festival 2026.
Receive Feedback from the Adjudicator
At Festival 2026, the adjudication process is designed to evaluate students based on how well they perform their own chosen pieces, rather than competing directly against other participants. The focus is on celebrating individual progress, performance quality, and musicianship.
How Adjudication Works
Each performance is assessed using a rubric that grades students in four key categories:
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Pitch Accuracy – How precise the participant is in playing or singing the correct notes.
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Rhythm Accuracy – How consistent and accurate the participant is with timing and rhythmic values.
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Interpretation (Stylistic Accuracy) – How well the participant understands and conveys the style, character, and mood of the piece.
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Performance Skills (Stage Presence) – How the participant presents themselves on stage, including confidence, posture, and engagement with the audience.
Get Your Score and Certificate
Every participant will receive thoughtful, personalized feedback to support their musical journey. After each performance:
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Written Feedback: Detailed notes from the adjudicator to help students understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
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Certificate of Completion: A special festival certificate to celebrate their hard work and participation.
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Official Grade: Each student’s performance will be awarded a grade, recognizing their dedication and achievements.
Qualify for Scholarships and Prizes
Festival 2026 offers a variety of exciting prizes and scholarships, rewarding excellence, effort, and musical growth. These prizes are designed to encourage participants to strive for their best while providing unique opportunities for continued learning and development
​​Top performers in each category will have the chance to win one of the following prizes. To qualify, recipients must achieve a performance score of 90% or higher.
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​Long & McQuade Gift Cards
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Variety of Music Instruments including guitars, amps, microphones, hand percussion and more.
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Wonderland Season Passes
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Music Lesson Scholarships
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​1-month scholarship: Covering one month of lessons at Long & McQuade
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3-month scholarship: Covering three months of lessons at Long & McQuade
Registration and Fees
Your Pathway to Performance Begins Here!
To participate in Festival 2026, follow these steps to complete your registration:
Be sure to review the festival syllabus and sign up for your category. Students can sign up for more than one category.
STEP TWO - REPERTOIRE SELECTION
One month prior to the festival, all participants will receive an email requesting confirmation of the repertoire they will be performing. ​
​Registration Fee: $35 per session.​
Registration Deadline: February 20th, 2026
Who Can Register?
All Long & McQuade Richmond Hill, Stoufville and Toronto Students
Festival 2026 is open to all Long & McQuade students who are eager to showcase their skills and gain meaningful performance experience. With categories spanning multiple instruments and levels, every participant has the opportunity to perform, grow, and receive professional feedback to support their musical journey.
Instruments:
Piano
Drums
Vocals
Electric Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Classical Guitar
Trumpet
French Horn
Trombone
Tuba
Violin
Cello
Saxophone
Clarinet
Flute
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