Rules & Information for the 2026 Live Festival

Celebrating the 91st anniversary of its founding in 2026

General Rules

Coaching from audience members of a performing student is not allowed, and will result in a student’s immediate class disqualification. Examples of coaching: gesturing or mouthing words to a student or students while they are on stage, etc.
Participants are strongly advised to arrive at performance venues at least ten minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the class.
Due to space restrictions, we are unable to provide rehearsal space. Participants are asked to refrain from practicing in stairwells and hallways.
Original scores of music to be performed, or legally downloaded scores (with proof of purchase or public domain status from the source website), must be presented to the Adjudicator’s Assistant or Door Monitor as instructed, immediately prior to the start of the class. Any participant who does not give an original score or legal reproduction of it to the Adjudicator's Assistant or Door Monitor, may still perform and receive an adjudication but no mark will be assigned. A student using music for a Festival performance, when a selection is not memorized, must also play from an original score or legal reproduction (with proof of purchase or public domain status from the source website), and must present this score or legal reproduction to the Adjudicator’s Assistant or Door Monitor when first checking in at the Festival desk immediately prior to the start of the class.
Classes cannot be held to accommodate accompanists’ schedules. Participants awaiting the arrival of their accompanist will be moved to the end of the class.
Although all attempts are made to accommodate individual schedules (both participant and accompanist), the adjudicator may refuse to hear any competitor who is not ready, with their accompanist, to perform when called by the Adjudicator’s Assistant. Participants/accompanists arriving late will be moved to the end of the class. Those arriving after the class has finished and the Adjudicator’s final decisions have been made will be disqualified.
In all classes, only the marks for the first, second, and third places may be read from the platform.
A certificate will be presented to the first, second, and third place award winners at the conclusion of each competitive class when deemed appropriate by the adjudicator.
Competitors from outside the HRM area are required to leave a local phone number or email address with the Festival office.
Entrance to non-competitors to all classes is through payment of an admission fee of $5.00, payable in advance or upon admission. New in 2026 is a Festival Pass for $30 which includes admission to all classes, Rose Bowls, a Festival program and Gala Concert.
Adjudication Sheets and the participants’ music may be picked up from the Adjudicator’s Assistant at the end of each class. Please remember to collect musical scores!
If a participant is awarded a cheque as a prize or award, the recipient is requested to cash the cheque in a timely manner, no later than three months from the date of issue. There will be no re-issue of award cheques.
No participant, teacher, parent or member of the public is to approach, or speak to, the Adjudicator regarding a participant, repertoire, or any related matter. Necessary questions, information, etc., must be directed to the Adjudicator’s Assistant who will inform or question the Adjudicator and, if necessary, convey the information back to the participant/teacher/parent.
Complaints or protests must be made directly to the Festival Administration in writing and must be accompanied by a fee equivalent to the entry fee of the class protested. If the protest is upheld, the fee will be refunded. Under no circumstances are such complaints or protests to be made to the Adjudicator.
The Adjudicator’s decision is final.

Rules for Participation

Working Management

These competitions shall be under the working management of the Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival Association, which shall hereinafter be referred to as “the Association.” Any questions not dealt with in these rules shall be referred to the Association whose decisions on such matters shall be ﬁnal and binding.

The Association will assume no responsibility for providing facilities for rehearsals.

Eligibility – Definitions

All competitions, unless otherwise stated, shall be open to amateurs only. “Amateurs” are deﬁned as persons for whom a principal means of livelihood is not obtained from the performance or teaching of music in the particular category in which they are competing. This stipulation does not, however, preclude such persons from having occasionally received remuneration for musical services rendered, even in the area in which they are competing.
Members of choral societies, choirs, orchestras and bands may be professionals, provided they comply with the terms of Rule No. 4, below.
Competitors in choral societies, choirs, orchestras and bands must be members of their respective organizations. The number of members must be indicated on the entry form. This information is very important for seating and stage arrangements.
Conductors may be either amateur or professional. Conductors may conduct any number of groups in the same class or otherwise, but may not sing with their choral group, nor play with the orchestra or band, except in open classes.
(a) In piano solo classes where age limits are set (i.e., 12 years and under), participants must be no older than the speciﬁed age as of January 1st in the year of that festival.
(b) In classes where an age limit is set (i.e., under 12), participants must be under the speciﬁed age as of January 1st in the year of that festival.
(c) In piano solo classes, participants may enter only one class in each grouping of classes (i.e., Sonatina/Sonata, Bach, Baroque, Classical, etc.). If a participant enters a Level 5 Sonatina Class, the same participant may not enter a Level 4 Sonatina Class. In Chopin classes, Nocturne and one other Chopin class may be entered.

Repertoire

Copyright

The Copyright Act became law in 1989. The photocopying of copyrighted music is illegal. Participants may not duplicate, in whole or in part, any copyrighted music without written expressed permission from the copyright owner. Original music must be presented to the Adjudicator. The Adjudicator may refuse to provide a mark to any participant who provides a reproduction of copyrighted music. Downloaded music will be accepted only if accompanied by purchase receipt or, in the case of free download copies, other written documentation. If the score source is a public domain site, then the participant(s) must provide the Adjudicator with proof of public domain along with the score.

REPERTOIRE, PROVINCIAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
To be considered for recommendation to the 2025 Provincial Music Festival, students at the local Festival are required to perform repertoire that aligns with grade level guidelines in the 2025 FCMF syllabus. https://fcmf.org/en/

Repertoire for all Open solo classes MUST be at the ARCT level. However, participants are not limited to performing only the repertoire selections included on the RCM ARCT Performer’s List. Should a participant choose to perform repertoire not listed on the RCM ARCT Performer’s List, a copy of the repertoire MUST be included with the application form for review by the Syllabus Advisory Committee and/or the Adjudicator to ensure that it is of the appropriate level. In this case, as in all others, the decision of the Adjudicator is ﬁnal. Participants should note that, for application purposes, photocopies are permissible and will be destroyed immediately following the approval process.
Participants who have previously competed at a given level may not return the following year and compete at a lower level.
NS Kiwanis Music Festival encourages recommended participants to participate in Provincial and National music festivals, however, a winner of the Grand Award at the National Music Festival is ineligible to compete again in the same class in the NS Kiwanis Music Festival.
For participants providing a lead sheet in Singer/Songwriter categories, the Lead Sheet should include a melody line, text and root/quality chord symbols above the staff.
In all classes, full repertoire information must be included with the Entry Form. Repertoire for Open classes will be reviewed by the Syllabus Advisory Committee and/or the Adjudicator in each discipline. In cases where the submitted repertoire is not considered to be at the appropriate level, the participant will be notiﬁed and given ample time to re-apply with no additional fees. Participants in Early Music and Baroque classes are encouraged to provide the date of composition on the Entry Form - pieces written in 1750 or earlier are eligible for Early Music Awards.
Participants are not permitted to perform an ‘Own Choice’ repertoire selection which they have performed in a previous Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival.
In duet or duo classes, one participant may not play the same part twice.
In Test Pieces repeats shall not be played unless speciﬁcally stated in the Syllabus. Da Capo repeats shall be observed. This rule applies to all instruments. Repeats are encouraged, but not mandatory, in Own Choice classes.
Students entering classes in Piano, Upper Strings or Lower Strings shall be permitted to enter as many classes as they like at one grade level, with one additional class at one grade level higher allowed, e.g., four classes at Level 7 and one class at Level 8.
In all classes, selections used must not have been used by the participant in another class in the current festival. Test Pieces may not be used as Own Choice selections.

General

Festival classes will be cancelled, without obligation (either direct or implied) of refund or rescheduling, due to an Act of God and/or the declaration of a provincial or municipal State of Emergency, and will remain cancelled until such time that the State of Emergency has ended and it becomes possible for the festival to resume.
Adults (in addition to the conductor) must chaperone choirs, bands and orchestras. A ratio of 1 adult to 15 students is suggested. Chaperones must be identified, and are to sit with the students, see that quiet is maintained during performances, monitor participant movement, and watch coats, instrument cases, etc. Secure storage spaces cannot be provided.
Participants in choirs, bands and orchestras must come dressed to perform. No practice or dressing rooms will be provided and washrooms/stairwells may not be used for such purposes.
If any person is caught defacing or vandalizing property, or there is any other unacceptable form of behaviour, that person will not be permitted to perform for the rest of the festival.
As multiple venues may be in use at any given time, the Association cannot assure participants that the scheduling of classes will not present time conflicts. No modifications in the program will be made except to accommodate school bus schedules where possible. Where a participant is entered in time-conflicting classes, that person must elect to withdraw from sufficient classes to resolve the conflict.
The festival schedule/order cannot and will not be changed to accommodate accompanists.
Band, choir and orchestra members are required to be in the auditorium at the beginning of their class, so that they may listen to the other participants in that class. Participants will enter the stage from the auditorium.
The Association reserves the right to sub-divide any class into two or more competitions, should the number or character of the entries warrant this being done.
The Association may withdraw any class if it considers the number of entries insufficient. In this case, Entry Fees will be refunded.
In the event of entries being numerous, the Association reserves the right to appoint additional Adjudicators.
Accompanist arrangements are the responsibility of the soloist or group. An accompaniment must be live and not a recording.
Where possible, cancellations should be reported to the Festival office 24 hours before the time of a class.
A chord or starting interval may be given on the piano prior to the start of each piece of unaccompanied music. In string classes, participants may have their instruments tuned by a teacher or other person.