Local community festivals are the foundation of Canada's music festival movement. They are alive and well throughout Canada, both in small towns and in urban centres. Every festival is run mostly by volunteers, who ask only that young classical musicians get the opportunity to grow musically.

OMFA is the umbrella body for community Music Festivals in the province of Ontario. Member festivals of the OMFA share the mutual objective of providing performance and competition opportunities for young artists, with professional adjudicators offering assessment, helpful critiques, and workshops. At every level in the festival movement, besides developing friendships, competitors also learn a great deal about music from each other. Adult classes are also offered for every discipline.

For 2025 we are pleased to be able to offer both a live and virtual competition for recommended music students from their local festivals who either live or study in the Province of Ontario or in the Gatineau area of Quebec. Classes will be available from Conservatory levels one to ARCT for instrumentalists and singers and for ages 6 to 28 for Composition, Classical Voice, Fiddle, Musical Theatre, Popular Classes, Non-Western Instruments, Speech Arts, Duets, Trios and Percussion. There are also classes for Bands, Choirs, Orchestras, Chamber Groups and Small Ensembles.

There’s trouble in River City! When smooth-talking con man Harold Hill arrives in a small, tight-knit town in Iowa, he expects to dupe its residents with his elaborate moneymaking scheme: Despite his complete lack of musical literacy, he will convince everyone that he is a brilliant bandleader and recruit all the boys in town to form a band, pocketing the cash for instruments and uniforms. The problem? Some of the town members, especially the stern librarian, Marian Paroo, don’t quite buy Harold’s story. As Harold struggles to keep his scheme afloat, he also finds himself increasingly attached to the townspeople, who have all experienced a positive change since Harold came to town. Complicating matters even more, Harold is also falling head-over-heels for the beautiful Marian.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three Tony Awards, including Best Score, Next to Normal is a groundbreaking musical that shatters expectations of what theatre can be. With raw intensity and searing honesty, it delves into the lives of a family struggling to hold itself together in the face of mental illness and loss. Driven by an electrifying rock score, this deeply emotional journey pulls audiences into the minds and hearts of its characters, revealing their pain, resilience, and unbreakable love. Next to Normal isn’t just a show—it’s an experience that lingers long after the final note.

Presented by Elevator Theatre Company.