CISMF: Music Festival

A standing ovation is always in order for the 1,400 students and educators who take to the Roy Thomson Hall stage each spring for this non-competitive celebration of music.

The annual festival, running for almost four decades, features choirs and bands — jazz, symphonic, concert and more — all culminating in a mass finale with a well-known guest conductor. Schools pick the choristers, while musicians audition and then collaborate in advance, over the course of several rigorous rehearsal days.

It’s no wonder close friendships are built over the course of an intense, inclusive and joyous musical experience. This unique program sets the standard Canada-wide, with music coordinators from across the country visiting to take notes about the beautiful music that’s created.