2025 Pickering GTA Music Festival

Welcome to the Pickering GTA Music Festival. This is our 25th year, located in Pickering, Ontario. We will be offering the Festival both live and virtually from February 1-15th . We are fortunate to be able to hold all our classes in one church that is conveniently located to the 401on the border of Pickering and Toronto and 5 minutes from a Go Train station. 

My thanks to Andrew Rivett for managing our website with Ciniki. I am certain you will all find the registration process much easier. Payment is accepted only by e transfer. Please make sure that the email address you submit is one that can be used for etransfer in the event that a scholarship is provided.

We offer classes for pop, musical theatre and jazz vocal, show choirs, English and French Speech Arts, electric guitar as well as all the traditional Classical classes for all instruments and singing.

As a member Festival of the Ontario Music Festivals Association, we send as many candidates as possible on to the Provincial Competitions. 92 possible candidates were recommended last year to the Provincials in June of 2024, 89 accepted, and 33 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 Kitchener-Waterloo from June 9-14th.

Candidates are chosen from grades 1 and up in all instruments, singing, music theatre, pop, composition, speech arts, chamber, small ensembles, choral, band and orchestra classes.  If you are hoping to attend OMFA, please familiarize yourself with the repertoire rules as many have changed this year. Some classes that were previously virtual are now Live.

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.

This year woodwinds will be split between flutes and reeds for the same reasons. New this year is restructured singing classes that are by age and not by Conservatory levels.

When the applications start arriving, 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. 

Please look at all that OMFA is offering this year at www.omfa.ca. It is vital that deadlines are strictly adhered to to avoid disqualification.

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 regarding this local festival or Provincials. Best wishes in your musical training. Wishing everyone good health and joy in their music making in 2024!
 
Martha Gregory,
Executive Director
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Contact us at: pgtamf@gmail.com or (905) 839-9801