Sydney NorthWest Music Festival
The Sydney NorthWest Music Festival provides the opportunity for public schools to come together annually to showcase high-quality individual items and combined school choirs.
Students from Kindergarten to Year 12 are provided with an opportunity to develop and refine music and performance skills. In 2025, the Sydney NorthWest Music Festival is open to all public schools across NSW and will be held across two venues:
- The Concourse Concert Hall, Chatswood
- Richard Bonynge Concert Hall, Penrith
Opportunities are available for school groups of up to 30 students to participate in the combined primary choir and for soloists, duets, small groups and large ensembles to perform as individual items in one of four performances.
Please note, this program was formerly known as the Arts Alive Choral Festival.
2025 dates
Sydney NorthWest Music Festival – performance dates
- Burrendong Concert – Tuesday 19 August 2025 (Term 3 Week 5) – Richard Bonynge Concert Hall, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre (Penrith)
- Cawndilla Concert – Wednesday 20 August 2025 (Term 3 Week 5) – Richard Bonynge Concert Hall, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre (Penrith)
- Pinaroo Concert – Thursday 21 August 2025 (Term 3 Week 5) – Concert Hall, The Concourse (Chatswood)
- Wyangan Concert – Friday 22 August 2025 (Term 3 Week 5) – Concert Hall, The Concourse (Chatswood)
On the day of the performance, groups in the combined primary choir will be expected to rehearse at the performance venue from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and then return at 6:15 pm for a 7:00 pm performance.
Tickets for the 2025 Sydney NorthWest Music Festival will go on sale in late June 2025. Further information will be provided in May 2025.
Sydney NorthWest Music Festival – preliminary rehearsal information
- Schools participating in the Burrendong Concert – Monday 16 June 2025 (Term 2 Week 8) – 9:30 am to 1:00 pm – Venue TBC (in Penrith area)
- Schools participating in the Cawndilla Concert – Tuesday 17 June 2025 (Term 2 Week 8) – 9:30 am to 1:00 pm – Venue TBC (in Penrith area)
- Schools participating in the Pinaroo Concert – Wednesday 18 June 2025 (Term 2 Week 8) – 9:30 am to 1:00 pm – Venue TBC (in Chatswood area)
- Schools participating in the Wyangan Concert – Thursday 19 June 2025 (Term 2 Week 8) – 9:30 am to 1:00 pm – Venue TBC (in Chatswood area)
Schools should attend the rehearsal for the concert they have been allocated to.
How to apply
Applications for the combined primary choir will open on Monday 10 February 2025 and close on Monday 3 March 2025.
Applications to perform as an instrumental or vocal item are now open and will be a combined selection process with the Festival of Instrumental Music, the Festival of Choral Music and the Compass Music Festivals.
Combined primary choir
The 2025 repertoire will feature an array of diverse choral works for primary school choirs, including a number of newly commissioned pieces by Australian composers, and is most suitable for students in Years 4 to 6.
The majority of the repertoire will be taken from the materials produced for the 2025 Festival of Choral Music and we will have access to the high-quality teaching resources created for this festival.
No audition is necessary for schools to join the 2025 Sydney NorthWest Music Festival combined primary choir. Schools may apply for a group of up to 30 students to participate, and there will be an option on the online application form to indicate that you would like to bring more than 30 students if we have space available.
Please note the number of students accepted from your school will be confirmed upon acceptance into the concert. Due to capacity limitations in each venue, we may not be able to accept the full number of students each school applies to have involved. Schools will be notified of their final numbers accepted by the end of Term 1 2024.
Participation fee
- The student resource fee for each student participant in the combined primary choir is $44.00 (ex GST). As part of this, students will receive a printed repertoire booklet, access to digital teaching materials, and a concert performance t-shirt.
- Payment will be made to the student's school and direct debited by The Arts Unit from schools in early Term 3, 2024.
Instrumental and vocal items
Applications to perform your items are now open and will close Fri 9 May 2025.
In 2025, performance opportunities are available for outstanding instrumental and vocal items at the Sydney NorthWest Music Festival. These opportunities are open to all public school students and can include music ensembles of all sizes, large or small – including soloists and choirs.
An audition video must be submitted with your nomination, and this video must be of the piece you are nominating to perform at the festival.
Items who are successful in the audition process will be allocated an on-stage rehearsal time on their performance day. Please note, this rehearsal will take place during school hours on your allocated performance day. It is not possible to schedule this rehearsal out of school hours.
There is no participation fee payable to be involved as an individual item in the festival.
Applications to perform as an instrumental or vocal item will be a combined selection process with the Festival of Instrumental Music, the Festival of Choral Music and the Compass Music Festivals.