Music

Enquiries

Music Festivals
The Arts Unit
[email protected]

Music festivals

Festivals provide high-quality learning and performing opportunities for students and teachers from NSW public schools. Music festivals encompass instrumental and vocal ensembles, with students having the chance to learn diverse, challenging and fun repertoire with industry experts while coming together to share and celebrate their passion for music.

 

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Programs

Newcastle / Lake Macquarie

Bandfest Newcastle

Program Music
Kindergarten to Year 12
An opportunity for school bands to display their progress over the year, observe other bands and receive constructive feedback from recognised musical experts.
Bathurst

Bathurst Small Schools CAPA Festival

Program Dance Drama Music Visual arts
Kindergarten to Year 6
Students work collaboratively with other small schools to perform in a professional venue.
Sydney

Cantabile Music Festival

Program Music
Years 3 to 6
The Festival showcases individual band and orchestral items as well as the choral skills of the festival's combined primary school choir.
Wyong

Central Coast Choral Festival

Program Music
Kindergarten to Year 6

The Central Coast Choral Festival provides an opportunity for NSW public schools to come together biannually to showcase high-quality individual items and massed choral events.
Central Coast

Central Coast Schools Showcase

Program Dance Drama Music
Kindergarten to Year 12

The Central Coast Showcase is an annual High Performance and Gifted Education program that features the very best performances Central Coast public schools have to offer. 
Young

Cherry Jam

Program Dance Drama Music
Kindergarten to Year 12
Schools collaborate on combined items and showcase their performance pieces.
Newcastle / Lake Macquarie

Choralfest Newcastle

Program Music
Kindergarten to Year 12
The festival provides a great opportunity for choristers to showcase their developing skills, observe other performances, and receive constructive feedback from recognised musical experts.
Wagga Wagga

CHORDS

Program Dance Music
Years 3 to 6
Local students gain invaluable experience on stage.

Compass Music Festival

Program Music
Years 3 to 12 students and teachers
Opportunity for regional and rural students to perform in a local festival.
Orange

Compass Music Festival – Central West

Program Music
Year 3 to 12 students and teachers
A combined public schools performance at Canobolas Rural Technology High School
North Coast

Compass Music Festival – North Coast

Program Music
Year 3 to 12 students and teachers
A combined public schools performance at Wiigulga Sports Complex.

Featured items for state music festivals

Program Music
Kindergarten to Year 12
Performance opportunities for outstanding instrumental and vocal items.

Festival of Choral Music

Program Music
Years 3 to 6 students and teachers
The Festival of Choral Music (FoCM) brings students from across NSW to perform selected repertoire in combined mass choirs guided by specialist choral teachers.

Festival of Instrumental Music

Program Music
Years 3 to 6 students and teachers
The Festival of Instrumental Music (FoIM) presents concerts of diverse and engaging repertoire, featuring massed recorder and string ensembles.
Penrith

Greater Western Sydney Concert Band

Program Music
Years 4 to 12
An ensemble program which aims to provide high-quality opportunities for musical performance at local, regional and state events.

In Concert

Program Music
Years 7 to 12 students and teachers
Students have the opportunity to perform a range of significant choral works in a dazzling choral and instrumental music showcase.  Teachers engage in quality professional learning delivered by experts.
Griffith

KROP

Program Dance Drama Music
Kindergarten to Year 12
Showcasing performances by students in a professional setting.

Primary Proms

Program Music
Year 3 and 4 students and teachers
The Primary Proms features a combined choir together with outstanding instrumental and vocal items from public schools across NSW. 
Sydney Olympic Park

Pulse Alive

Program Dance Drama Music VET
Kindergarten to Year 12
This large-scale performing arts event provides high-quality performance opportunities to students in a creative and performing arts extravaganza.
Broken Hill

Pulse Broken Hill

Program Dance Drama Music VET
Kindergarten to Year 12
Pulse Broken Hill is a performing arts event that provides high-quality performance opportunities to students in a creative and performing arts extravaganza.

Pulse Deniliquin

Program Dance Drama Music VET
Kindergarten to Year 12
Pulse Sunraysia is a performing arts event that provides high-quality performance opportunities to students in a creative and performing arts extravaganza.
Moree

Pulse Moree

Program Dance Drama Music VET
Kindergarten to Year 12
Pulse Moree is a performing arts event that provides high-quality performance opportunities to students in a creative and performing arts extravaganza.
Mildura

Pulse Sunraysia

Program Dance Drama Music VET
Kindergarten to Year 12
Pulse Sunraysia is a performing arts event that provides high-quality performance opportunities to students in a creative and performing arts extravaganza.
Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan Performing Arts Festival

Program Dance Drama Film Music VET
Kindergarten to Year 12
Providing students with an authentic, professional performance experience in front of a large audience
Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan Schools Choral Festival

Program Music
Kindergarten to Year 12
Providing students with an authentic, professional performance experience in front of a large audience
Bega

SCLC Performing Arts Festival

Program Dance Drama Music Visual arts
Kindergarten to Year 12
A performance extravaganza showcasing students and staff across the Sapphire Coast Learning Community.
Forster

Shine On

Program Dance Drama Music
Kindergarten to Year 12
A combined festival to develop and showcase the creative talents of students and staff from across the Great Lakes Learning Community.
Campbelltown

Shining Stars

Program Dance Drama Music Visual arts
Kindergarten to Year 12 students with a disability
Students engage in a relevant and meaningful arts education program.
Nowra

Shoalhaven Choral Music Festival

Program Music
Kindergarten to Year 6
The festival showcases the choral talents of primary schools within the Wollongong area featuring different repertoire and schools each night.
Monaro

Snowy Monaro Performing Arts Festival

Program Dance Drama Music VET
Kindergarten to Year 12
Performing arts festival featuring schools items in dance, drama and music for public schools across Eden Monaro and beyond.
Wollongong

Southern Illawarra Music Festival

Program Music
Kindergarten to Year 6
The festival showcases school choral groups in a fun, inclusive programs including combined massed choir items and individual school choirs.
Wollongong

Southern Stars

Program Dance Drama Music VET
Kindergarten to Year 12
An exciting arena event providing valuable performance and learning opportunities for students in the arts.
Sydney Olympic Park

SpecFest

Program Dance Drama Music
SpecFest is the ultimate outdoor entertainment hub with great food, activations and chill-out zones for the whole family to enjoy.
Newcastle

Star Struck

Program Dance Drama Music VET
Kindergarten to Year 12
An exciting arena event that promotes excellence in arts education.
Chatswood

Sydney NorthWest Music Festival

Program Music
Kindergarten to Year 12
An annual showcase of individual items and combined school choirs provide an opportunity to develop, refine and highlight music and performance skills in a premiere performance venue.

The Idea of North

Program Music
Years 7 to 12
The Arts Unit collaborates with The Idea of North to promote choral singing. Each day of the festival ends with a public concert.
Wollongong

Wollongong Schools' Choral Festival

Program Music
Kindergarten to Year 6
The festival showcases the choral talents of primary schools within the Wollongong area featuring different repertoire and schools each night.
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Upcoming applications

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Upcoming events

GWS PS Concert Band performing at AACF at the Sydney Town Hall 2022

Greater Western Sydney Public Schools Concert Band – workshops

Penrith
Years 4 to 12

All workshops are from 8:30 am to 2:45 pm.

  • Saturday 14 June (Term 2 Week 7)
  • Tuesday 5 August (Term 3 Week 3)
  • Tuesday 12 August (Term 3 Week 4)
  • Saturday 16th August (Term 3 Week 4)
  • Saturday 15 November (Term 4 Week 5)
  • Tuesday 18 November (Term 4 Week 6)
Young peopl in an ensemble of stringed instruments.

Festival of Instrumental Music – recorder preliminary rehearsals

Meadowbank
Years 3 to 6 students and teachers
  • Acacia rehearsal – Monday 23 June 2025, 10 am to 1:30 pm 
  • Banksia rehearsal – Tuesday 24 June 2025, 10 am to 1:30 pm 
  • Jacaranda rehearsal – Wednesday 25 June 2025, 10 am to 1:30 pm 
  • Mimosa rehearsal – Thursday 26 June 2025, 10 am to 1:30 pm
Young peopl in an ensemble of stringed instruments.

Festival of Instrumental Music – strings preliminary rehearsals

Meadowbank
Years 3 to 6 students and teachers
  • Acacia rehearsal – Monday 23 June 2025, 10 am to 1:30 pm 
  • Banksia rehearsal – Tuesday 24 June 2025, 10 am to 1:30 pm 
  • Jacaranda rehearsal – Wednesday 25 June 2025, 10 am to 1:30 pm 
  • Mimosa rehearsal – Thursday 26 June 2025, 10 am to 1:30 pm
group of young dancers on stage in pink and blue costumes

Snowy Monaro Performing Arts Festival

Cooma North
Kindergarten to Year 12

Thu 26 Jun 2025

  • Show A: 4:00–5:30 pm
  • Show B: 6:30–8:00 pm
The Snowy Monaro Performing Arts Festival brings together public schools from across Eden-Monaro and beyond, showcasing the incredible dedication and creativity of students from Kindergarten to Yea
A large choir and stringed ensemble of students performing at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

Festival of Choral Music – preliminary rehearsals

Sydney
Years 3 to 6 students
  • Argyle rehearsal: Monday 30 June 2025, 9:30 am to 1 pm 
  • Australis rehearsal: Tuesday 1 July 2025, 9:30 am to 1 pm 
  • Barangaroo rehearsal: Wednesday 2 July 2025, 9:30 am to 1 pm 
  • Bennelong rehearsal: Thursday 3 July 2025, 9:30 am to 1 pm
  • Endeavour rehearsal: Friday 4 July 2025, 9:30 am to 1 pm
Pulse Deniliquin

Pulse Deniliquin

Deniliquin
Kindergarten to Year 12
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