The Woodstock Rotary Festival of Music

The syllabus that you need is available on the syllabus page.

Registration opens 12:00 PM, December 15, 2026, and is available at wrfofm.musicfestivalsuite.com.

Registration closes 11:59 PM, January 24th, 2027, but late registrations which cost an extra $25, are accepted until 11:59 PM, February 1st, 2027

Any registration fees submitted during the Late Registration Period incur a Late Registration Penalty of $25.00 per class entered.

Entrants are permitted to enter "TBA", or "To Be Announced" registrations before the submission deadline, but the full and accurate piece information is required in advance of the TBA Deadline, being 11:59 PM, February 10th, 2026. If not announced by then, the registration will not be accepted.

To register, all Parents/Guardians and Teachers/Group Leaders must make a Profile with the Woodstock Rotary Festival of Music's Music Festival Suite Portal before a Participant makes their own Profile. A Parent/Guardian can create a Profile for their minor children easily from within their own Profile. A Teacher/Group Leader can create a Profile for their ensemble(s) easily from within their own Profile. If you already have a Music Festival Suite Profile with another festival, you can Export your Profile from that festival to the Woodstock Rotary Festival of Music easily from within your Profile with that festival.

For Support or Extra Help, from within your Profile with the Woodstock Rotary Festival of Music, go to the Support option and open a Support Ticket for the fastest response.

Woodstock Rotary Festival of Music Overall Rules

Woodstock Rotary Festival of Music

Also known as WRFM

Official Rules & Regulations 2027

Please read carefully. Changes to the rules have been made.

Entrant’s registration includes Acceptance of ALL Festival Rules and Regulations Purpose

The purpose of the Woodstock Rotary Music Festival is to give each participant the opportunity to perform at their best, strive for excellence, to learn from the adjudicators and to increase their interest in musical studies.

General

The festival is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Woodstock.
The Woodstock Rotary Festival of Music will be known as the festival.
All decisions made by an Adjudicator are final.
Any question not dealt with in the Rules and Regulations will be referred to the Festival Executive whose decision will be final.

5. The festival is a “Scent Free Festival”.

REGISTRATION / APPLICATION

All sections and classes in this Festival are open to amateurs only, regardless of place of residence. An amateur shall be defined as any person whose principal means of livelihood is not in the discipline so entered.
In submitting the Entry Form, the Participant(s) agree to be governed by the Rules and Regulations of the Festival. Refer to section and class headers for specific exceptions.
Registrations received after the registration deadline will be accepted at the discretion

of the Festival Coordinator and will include a late fee.

Music selection titles and composers must be submitted with the registration.
NO changes will be allowed.
Timing must be included for accurate scheduling.
Applications cannot be accepted from participants who have studied with the adjudicator within the past 2 years.
It is the responsibility of teachers to see that each participant has entered the correct classes with the correct music.
Students who have completed an exam IN January OF THE CURRENT YEAR of the Festival may enter pieces at that grade level or one grade above

COMPETITORS

ROSEBOWL CLASSES

Rosebowls are for any participants who have won a grade Gr 10 or ARCT class in any instrument in the current year. To win a Rosebowl, the participant must have a minimum mark of 85. Once a Rosebowl is won, the person may no longer compete in the festival as that is our last level of performance.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

1. WRFM is a family friendly Festival. Please choose material appropriate for all audiences.

2. Participants in competitive classes must select repertoire from the CURRENT Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) or Conservatory Canada (CC) Syllabi.

Substitution/Supplemental pieces are not allowed.

3. Participants performing in a Popular class must take select pieces from the CURRENT RCM Popular Selection list and the CURRENT CC Contemporary Idioms Syllabus. No teacher’s Choice will be accepted.

SELECTIONS

All repertoire selections must observe the time limits prescribed in the Time Guideline section of these Rules and Regulations.
All selections for solo participants must be memorized. Exceptions: Participants in Non-Competitive classes and all Ensembles where memorization is not traditionally expected.

3. A participant may play a piece only once during the festival unless otherwise specified.

4. Original music must be used.

a.) Participants are strictly forbidden to use or bring photocopies for performances.

b.) Performers will be disqualified if a photocopy is used.

c.) Downloads are acceptable provided the permission for use and proof of purchase are attached to the music.

d.) Competitors must furnish “Own Choice” test pieces to the adjudicator.

5. Participants who do not perform according to the requirements of the class and Festival regulations will receive adjudication only.

6. It is the responsibility of participants to know which piece should be played in each class. If a piece is performed in the wrong class, the participant will be allowed to play the correct piece at the end of the class if time allows. The error must be brought to the attention the secretary before the end of the class.

7. Pieces in a Canadian Composer class must be composed by a Canadian. Studies are not allowed in these classes.
8. If Canadian Composer pieces are used in classes other than Canadian Composer classes, the participant will not be allowed to participate in the Canadian Composer medal class.

9. Repeats are not to be observed except with respect to Da Capo or Dal Segno signs. However, follow the Conservatories’ guidelines re. repeats.

VOCAL

May be transposed to suit the participant’s voice in the Junior & Intermediate classes, unless it is traditionally deemed inappropriate to do so.
Modest, appropriate costumes and/or staging are expected in Musical Theatre classes

Must be sung in their original language only.
No open flames may be used in any class.
Participants must provide their own accompanists.
Accompanied classes must be accompanied by a live piano accompanist.
If the accompanist is not ready at the start of the class, the participant may perform at the end of the class. A chord may be given at the piano for unaccompanied performances.

PARTICIPANT CONDUCT

Appropriate behaviour and consideration of other participants, volunteers, staff, teachers, parents, and guests is always expected. Whooping and hollering are not acceptable during or after performances.
Harassment or discrimination in any form is not acceptable. Any guest, volunteer, participant, parent, or teacher engaging in this activity will be removed from the festival and future Festival involvement will be reviewed by the Festival Committee.
Participants, guests, parents and music teachers are prohibited from approaching or being in any contact with a Festival Adjudicator, secretary or committee member in any way until after the festival events are complete or disqualification may occur. Anyone violating this directive will be removed from the class and forbidden from attending any other classes for the duration of the festival.
No contact between participant and teacher or parent is allowed during performances.

Coaching from the audience is not permitted. This includes but is not limited to mouthing words and hand gestures.

5. Participants must be prepared to perform on any day or time during the festival dates.

6. Participants must appear in order as shown in the program.

7.The Festival Coordinator retains the right to change the festival schedule at any time.

8. Participants not ready to perform within 15 minutes of a class being called may be disqualified.

9. The Adjudicator has the authority to stop a Participant at any time during their performance

COMPLAINT PROCESS

Submit detailed complaint in digital format to the coordinator within 24 hours of the incident.
A fee equivalent to the amount of the entry fee for the class in question must accompany the complaint.
The complaint will be discussed by the festival committee. They will decide whether to return the entry fee.
All decisions made by the Festival Committee will be final and not open to further debate.

The decision of the festival committee and/or adjudicator is final.

CLOTHING

During a performance, competitors must wear clothing suitable for a public performance.

Informal clothing such as jeans, shorts or T-shirts are highly discouraged.

SCHOOL GROUPS

All school groups must be accompanied by the required staffing supervision ratios for off campus field trips.

Students are expected to behave properly. They must be quiet when in the auditorium.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Unauthorized photography during performances is prohibited. Parents, guardians, or teachers may record video of their own child’s performance for personal use or as a teaching aid provided the following conditions are met:

a.) No flash or light aided photography or recording.

b.) Permission to record has been authorized on the registration form.

c.).Photos or recording shall be directed only at your performer.

d.)Recording adjudicators, by any method, is prohibited.

2 . Privacy is respected by the WRFM. The WRFM will not sell or distribute any personal information that is collected. Any data submitted may be used for contacting you for festival purposes only. There is a waiver on the registration form so that pictures may be used on our website. It is on the Profile Page underneath the photo and identity releases. Please make sure you sign it.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND MEDALS

All scholarships are granted at the discretion of the Adjudicators

First place winners are eligible to move to medal classes. If first place is not awarded or the winner is not eligible, then there will be NO representative from that class.
Scholarships will be paid directly to the winning participant.

To be eligible for scholarships participants must enter a minimum of 2 solo classes.

4. Only one scholarship may be awarded to a participant in each discipline.

Marks will be awarded as follows:

a. 90 – 100. An outstanding performance both musically and technically.

b. 85 to 89 - a secure performance with good musicality.

c. 80 to 84 - moderately secure, a well-intentioned performance.

d. below 80 is below standard for whatever reason.

5. Scholarships will be paid directly to the winning participant's teacher.

STARS OF THE FESTIVAL CONCERT

The Stars of the Festival Concert will be held one or two weeks after the festival is completed. Each medal winner qualifies to play at the concert. If they played the year previously, then they might not be asked, so the next person down who wins a scholarship will be asked to play.

PROVINCIAL DELEGATES

Only Competitive Class participants will be considered for the Provincial Competition.

Senior pianists, brass, woodwind players who wish to be considered for the Provincial Music Festival competition in the “open” category must play two consecutive movements of a concerto or sonata.

At Provincials, a participant must enter the grade level of the selection performed. Both pieces must be from the same grade level. Only one must have been performed at the local festival.

For Gr 6 and above, vocalists must perform three (3) selections in two (2) or more different languages (eg. English, French, Spanish, Italian, German) from the current Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) or the Conservatory Canada (CC) syllabus.

If a competitor competes in more than one festival and is recommended by both festivals, they must represent the festival which recommended them first.

It is the responsibility of the selected participant and teacher to be familiar with the OMFA Syllabus check their website at: www.omfa.info