Annual Music Festival
Festival
Every winter, Merriam students take the stage at the MSM Festival and StudioFest. Perform a piece you’ve worked hard on, hear what an adjudicator thinks, and celebrate with the whole school.
Two ways to perform
Festival or StudioFest
Both are a chance to perform on a real stage and get feedback. The difference is whether there’s a mark and a placing.
Competitive
The MSM Competitive Festival
An adjudicator from outside Merriam hears every performer in a category. Students receive written comments, a mark and a possible placing, plus ribbons, medals and trophies. Entries have a small fee, and top performers can be nominated for scholarships.
Non-competitive
StudioFest
A relaxed performance with feedback and no marks or placings. Sessions run by instrument in 30 to 45 minute blocks, with spoken feedback from a Merriam teacher at the end. One StudioFest entry is included in your tuition, and spots are first come, first served. Online StudioFest lets students submit a recording instead.
Key dates · 2027 festival
Mark your calendar.
Nov 1
Registration opens
Registration for the Festival and StudioFest opens.
Dec 19
Festival deadline
Competitive registration closes Saturday, December 19, 2026. Late registration is accepted for one more week with a $5 late fee.
Jan 9
StudioFest deadline
In-person StudioFest registration closes Saturday, January 9, 2027.
Feb
Festival month
The competitive Festival runs from January to February in Oakville and Vaughan. StudioFest runs from January to March, depending on the number of entries.
StudioFest 2027
- Vaughan · Fri Jan 22, all instruments, 5 to 9 pm · Sat Jan 23, piano, 10 am to 5 pm
- Oakville · Piano Sun Jan 24 to Wed Jan 27 · Guitar, strings and woodwinds Thu Jan 28 · Percussion Fri Jan 29 · Vocal Sat Jan 30
- Toronto (new) · Mon Feb 8, all instruments, 5 to 8 pm
- Online · all instruments · premiere date to be confirmed
Competitive Festival 2027
Oakville- Piano: RCM Baroque · Mon Feb 1
- Piano: RCM Classical · Wed Feb 3 or Thu Feb 4
- Piano: Mystery Tune and Alfred’s · Sat Feb 6
- Strings and woodwinds · Mon Feb 8
- Guitar · Tue Feb 9
- Percussion · Wed Feb 10 or Thu Feb 11
- Piano: RCM Etudes · Tue Feb 16 or Wed Feb 17
- Vocal: Disney and Musical Theatre · Sun Feb 21
- Vocal: Pop and Jazz · Mon Feb 22
- Vocal: Classical and Folk · Tue Feb 23
- Piano: RCM Impressionistic and 20th Century · Wed Feb 24
- Piano: Microjazz · Thu Feb 25
- Piano: RCM Romantic · Sat Feb 27
- Piano: Junior Keyfest, Pop and Lead Sheet · Sun Feb 28
- Vocal · Fri Feb 19
- Piano · Sat Feb 20
Register in the festival portal
Registrations, payments, sheet music and backing tracks for the Festival and StudioFest all go through the Merriam Music Festival portal. A registration is confirmed once it’s paid. Tracks are due no later than one week before your performance. Because schedules and adjudicators are booked in advance, fees are non-refundable once the schedule is set. Competitive placements are decided on the day, and the adjudicator’s written comments are emailed 5 business days after the event.
Categories, fees and venues
Something for
every player
Categories are grouped by instrument, level and age. The syllabus lists every category, its number and the approved pieces.
Piano
Mystery Tune, Alfred’s, Keyfest books, RCM lists and studies, ARCT concert etudes, Microjazz, open pop and contemporary, and lead sheet.
Voice
Five age groups, from 7–9 to 19 and up, each in Disney and musical theatre, classical and folk, and pop and jazz.
Guitar and bass
Electric, acoustic and classical guitar by age (14 and under, 15 and over), and bass guitar by Keyfest level.
Percussion
A required technical selection plus a piece of your choice.
Strings
Your own choice of piece, with a backing track or piano accompaniment.
Woodwinds
Clarinet and saxophone, and flute. Woodwind players may perform with music.
New for 2027: Junior level piano students receive a gold, silver or bronze result against a standard rubric instead of competing for a placing. The rubric will be in the festival portal.
Entry fees (2027)
Piano, strings and woodwinds- Junior 1–4: $18
- Intermediate 1–2: $20
- Advanced 1–2: $22
- Senior 1–2: $24
- Artist: $26
Vaughan: piano follows the same ladder; voice is $22.
StudioFest: one entry included per enrolment.
Venues
- Oakville · Studio A, Oakville campus, 2359 Bristol Circle, Oakville
- Vaughan · Toronto District Christian High School, 377 Woodbridge Ave, Woodbridge
- Toronto StudioFest · Event Stage, Toronto campus, 943 Eglinton Ave E
Awards and scholarships
Celebrate the work.
Every competitor goes home with something, and placings are handed out at the end of each category.
1st
Trophy
First place in a category.
2nd
Silver medal
Second place in a category.
3rd
Bronze medal
Third place in a category.
All
Ribbon
Every Festival and StudioFest performer receives a participation ribbon.
Junior piano: Junior level piano students receive a gold, silver or bronze result against a standard rubric instead of a 1st, 2nd or 3rd placing.
Festival scholarships
Tuition scholarships are awarded by nomination in March and reviewed by the Festival Scholarship Panel. Scholarship performances need a mark of 90% or higher.- Outstanding Solo Performance: $50 to $100, by adjudicator nomination
- Most Promising Voice Student: $300, three or more vocal classes
- Keyfest Piano All-Around: Intermediate $150, Advanced $200, Senior $250, three or more classes at that level including one jazz or pop class
- Exceptional Artist Piano: $300
- Stand-Out Rock/Pop (guitar or percussion): $200
- Stand-Out Classical (classical guitar, strings or woodwinds): $200
Good to know
Before you perform
Play from memory
Competitive classes are performed from memory, except woodwinds and the drum technical selection, which may use music. If a memory requirement isn’t met, the student still performs and gets feedback.
Bring your own music
Sheet music is due two weeks before you perform, and you must own the music you submit. Photocopies aren’t accepted.
One piece, one category
Each piece can be entered in only one category per festival. Teachers and parents check that the student is in the right category.
Any instrument
Students can enter a category for an instrument they don’t take lessons in. Fixed-repertoire classes use the approved list; own-choice classes take any piece.
Scheduling
The Competitive Festival runs each category on a set day and time. For StudioFest, share your preferences when you register, like available times or keeping siblings together. They’re preferences, not guarantees, and families can’t move their own time. After paying, request changes through the portal.
Privacy
Festival emails go to the family’s primary contact. Recordings come from the livestream, so anyone watching that livestream can see every performer in it. Prefer initials in the programme? Choose that when you register.
The full rules and regulations are in the documents below. Adjudicators’ decisions are final, and adjudicators should not be approached about their decisions.
Syllabus and documents
The syllabus
2027 festival documents
Questions about the festival?
Ask the
festival team
The festival team can help you choose a category, sort out a registration or find the right piece. Your teacher is a great first stop too.