Become a Volunteer

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Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festivals are powered by our volunteers.

When you volunteer with us, you join over 100 volunteers to help more than 4,000 music students gain performance experience by competing in Canada’s largest professionally adjudicated music festival.

Volunteer Roles

Ambassador

As an Ambassador, you are the first face a participant sees. You'll provide the guests and participants with a point of contact and a friendly face from the festival.

Typically, you will sit at a desk near the entrance to the venue. You'll be able to direct participants to the correct room, take attendance, and sort their sheet music for the appropriate adjudicator based on their performance time.

Adjudicator Secretary

As the Adjudicator Secretary, you will be the Adjudicator’s right hand as they evaluate musical performances. You will:

  • Set expectations with the musicians

  • Introduce the adjudicator

  • Ensure that students enter the class on time

  • Ensure that sheet music is correctly organized, and that adjudication forms and certificates are placed according to the adjudicator’s preference.

Replay our volunteer training online here.

View our training as a slideshow here.

If you have questions, please email volunteer@vkmfestivals.org

Training.

Incentives.

We appreciate our volunteers, and deeply value those who dedicate their time to improving the experience of our festival participants. In thanks, we offer:

  • Volunteer 10 times to receive a $100 honorarium.

  • Volunteer 5 times to receive a $50 honorarium.

  • Each volunteer shift will enter you in a draw to win prizes from our sponsors, like free tickets to the VSO.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULES

Small & Solo Ensemble Festival

Unitarian Church: (April 7-19)

Fireside and Sanctuary Rooms:

  • April 7-17 (Senior Piano), Mikolaj Warszynski and Patricia Tao -  Adjudicators

Tom Lee Downtown: (April 7-18, 20-21)

  • April 7-18 (Intermediate Piano), Everett Hopfner - Adjudicator

  • April 20-21 (Classical Guitar), Charles Hobson - Adjudicator

St. Faith’s Anglican Church (April 7-17, 23-30)

  • April 7-17 (Junior Piano, Level 4-6), Jean Brown - Adjudicator

  • April 23-30 (Junior Piano, Preparatory – Level 3), Donna Falconer - Adjudicator

St. Philip's Anglican Church (April 5-17, 23-29)

Fireside Room:

  • April 15-16 (Contemporary Voice), Dawn Pemberton - Adjudicator

  • April 7-13 (Cello and Double Bass, Small Ensembles), Brian Yoon - Adjudicator

  • April 24-29 (Junior Violin and Viola), Anni Yu - Adjudicator

Sanctuary: 

  • April 5-11 (Intermediate and Senior Violin, Small Ensembles), Hojean Yoo - Adjudicator

  • April 11-17 (Brass and Woodwinds), Mary Byrne - Adjudicator

  • April 23-26 (Musical Theatre), Melissa Morris - Adjudicator

  • April 27-29 (Classical Voice), Benjamin Butterfield - Adjudicator

Vancouver Academy of Music (April 21-22)

  • April 21-22 (Harp), Josh Layne - Adjudicator  Ensemble Festival

All Large Ensembles festivals will be held at Bethany Baptist Church
22680 Westminster Hwy.
Richmond, BC

Jazz Festival
Wednesday, February 25 through
Friday, February 27, 2026

Concert Band & Orchestra
Monday, March 2 through
Saturday, March 7, 2026

Choral Festival
Monday March 9 through
Thursday, March 12, 2026

All Large Ensembles Festivals, which feature jazz ensembles, choirs, concert bands, and orchestras from around the Greater Vancouver area and beyond, are during daytime hours, Monday to Friday. Shifts are available from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM. 

2026
Large Ensemble Festival

For the Large Ensemble Festival, in addition to Ambassador (Registration Desk) and Adjudicator Secretary roles, we are also in great need of:

Concession Attendant

Throughout the entirety of the festival, we need an attendant to work the concession booth. This will involve taking payment in both cash and digital forms, and basic tracking of sales inventory. Great customer service skills are a huge asset in this position, as it directly interfaces with students and teachers.

Stage Hands

On the first morning and last afternoon of each of the 3 Large Ensembles festivals, we require crucial stage hands to help us set up and tear down the stage.

This will involve moving risers, chairs and music stands. This person should be comfortably able to lift 20 lbs.

Festival Venue Locations.

  • St. Philip's Anglican Church.

  • Vancouver Academy of Music.

  • Unitarian Church of Vancouver.

  • Tom Lee Music Downtown Vancouver.

  • St. Faith's Anglican Church.

Your Festival Team.

  • Krista Pederson

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR /
    SOLO & SMALL ENSEMBLES FESTIVAL COORDINATOR

  • Sara Ramsay

    LARGE ENSEMBLES FESTIVAL COORDINATOR /
    DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

  • Franki Katz

    VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR /
    DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

  • Judy Westacott

    Judy Westacott

    VOLUNTEER LEAD

  • Lillian Chan

    VOLUNTEER LEAD

  • Matthew Leung

    VOLUNTEER LEAD

  • Xi Xi Sang

    VOLUNTEER LEAD

  • Amirhossein Samadi

    Amirhossein Samadi

    VOLUNTEER LEAD

  • Crystal Zhang

    VOLUNTEER LEAD

Volunteer Today.

Our organization encourages the participation of volunteers who support our mission.

If you agree with our mission and are willing to volunteer for us, please complete the following form.

Want to get in touch with a person? Reach out to us at volunteer@vkmfestivals.org

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Volunteer Sign-Up Form.