Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festivals

Welcome to the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festivals - dedicated to the encouragement, instruction and celebration of young musicians in Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

With an esteemed heritage dating back to the Knights of Pythias in 1923, and under the attentive stewardship of the Kiwanis Club of Vancouver since 1960, ours is now B.C.'s premier music festival, offering professional adjudication to some 10,000 students in high school bands and choirs, and in the private study of classical guitar, classical voice, music theatre, piano, strings, brass and woodwinds. Several years ago, an Ethnic Chinese instruments category was added making ours a truly multi-cultural event. Especially gifted students can go on to compete at the Provincial and National levels.

In 2009, with continued support from the Vancouver Kiwanis Club, we became a separate Society. We are now delighted that new benefactors, The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group and the Robert L. Conconi Foundation, have come forward with generous sponsorship.

We know helping to foster an appreciation for music, hard work and commitment in one child positively impacts not just their lives but the future of our community and our world. That's why even when we hear a song sung a little off-key or a few missed notes -- it's all music to our ears.

Adjudicators


Beth Root Sandvoss
Cellist Beth Root Sandvoss has a notably varied career as a recitalist, chamber musician and pedagogue. Beth’s early professional...

Dr. Michael Burch-Pesses
Michael Burch-Pesses is Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, where he conducts the Wind...

Rich Sumstad
Rich is the current arts department head at St. Marys District Collegiate and Vocational Institute and is also the artistic director of the...

David Cross
David Cross is in his 44th year of music education. He has been Director of Vocal Jazz at the University of Washington Seattle, Washington...