Contempo Music Festival 2026

Our Mission

To inspire young musicians by giving them a platform where their classical training comes alive through pop, Disney, and musical theatre—music they feel connected to and excited to perform.

Our Purpose

We created this festival to offer a warm, modern, and student-centered performance experience. While traditional festivals can feel formal or intense for some young performers, our goal is to provide a supportive and uplifting environment where students can truly shine and get the experience they need to grow.

Here, we focus on:

  • A relaxed, welcoming atmosphere

  • Meaningful, encouraging adjudicator feedback

  • Fun performance opportunities with contemporary music

  • Recognition for every student, so each child leaves feeling proud and motivated

Our vision is simple:
Make performance joyful, relevant, and confidence-building—so every student walks away feeling like a winner.

General Rules & Guidelines
Piano Syllabus
Voice Syllabus

Registration begins January 2026!

Registration begins January 2026!

  • Contempo Music Festival is organized by Simusique Studio, and is open to all piano & voice students in British Columbia working at RCM Levels 1–10 who want to perform contemporary, popular, film, and culturally diverse repertoire with the same seriousness as classical music.

  • An online adjudicated piano festival focused on the RCM Popular Selection List (and equivalent popular‑style repertoire). Each participant performs one (or more) memorized piece, receives written feedback from an experienced adjudicator, and is eligible for certificates and special awards such as Best Performance, Judge’s Choice, Most Confident Beginner, and Audience Favourite.

  • The 2026 festival runs online only. Performers record their piece on their own instrument and submit a video; adjudication, awards, and the Audience Favourite voting all take place digitally, so families can participate from anywhere without travel.

  • Classical training is essential, but today’s young musicians also connect deeply with music from movies, games, Broadway, jazz, and global popular styles. Contempo exists to bridge that gap—to give students a serious, encouraging space to present the music they love, apply their classical skills in new styles, and gain confidence performing for a real audience.

  • Students register through our online application form, then receive clear guidelines for recording and uploading their performance video by the submission deadline. Adjudicators watch each performance, prepare written comments and marks, and help select special prize recipients.

    • Best Pop Performance

    • Most Expressive

    • Best Stage Presence

    • Most Confident Beginner

    • Best Arrangement (for pianists/guitarists)

    • Audience Favourite (voted online!)