WA Schools' Junior Orchestra Festival

WA Schools' Junior Orchestra Festival

This event is run in partnership with the Australian Band and Orchestra Director's Association (WA).

Event details

Date: Saturday  13 September to Sunday 14 September 2025.

Venue: Churchlands Senior High School.

Eligibility: The festival is open to any non-government school or public school string or symphony orchestra with divisions catering for young or middle school orchestras, unbalanced orchestras and experienced senior orchestras.

Applications: Applications open Week 5, Term 1 on Friday 7 March 2025 and close Week 7, Term 2 on Friday 13 June 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. Access the online application form1.

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased at the event only (no presales). Performers and directors will be admitted without charge. Ticket prices for other audience members are:

  • $8.00 Adults
  • $6.00 Concession

Programs are $3.00 and cash and card facilities are available at the venue.

+Festival aims

The aims of the Junior Orchestra Festival are to:

  • give orchestras a performance opportunity at an international standard venue.
  • give orchestra members an opportunity to hear other orchestras perform.
  • provide each orchestra with constructive comments from a panel of informed adjudicators.
  • present each orchestra with an adjudication and certificate which recognises its participation and recognised standard of performance.
+Adjudication and grading

Orchestras perform within a division with a panel of adjudicators providing written and spoken feedback.

Novice Division orchestras can select whether to be graded or not. Those not graded will receive adjudication comments and a certificate of participation. Directors will receive 2 recordings of their orchestra, including one with spoken adjudicator’s comments superimposed over the music.

Orchestras can opt into a workshop directly after their performance given by one of the two adjudicators who have just listened to their orchestra. This allows students direct contact with the adjudicators and offers a greater amount of educational value to students’ involvement in the festival.

During each performance, conductors will be filmed if requested and given constructive and confidential feedback on their conducting by an adjudicator. Feedback will be given electronically (no longer face to face). This has proved to be very popular with many directors, and the positive feedback that they have received has been an extremely valuable tool in their professional development.

Adjudications and certificates can be collected at the end of the festival at Instrumental Music School Services, 150 Guildford Rd, Maylands. Postage is available to regional schools.

Individual orchestra results are not posted online or announced as each orchestra can decide whether they want their results to be publicly available.

+Music selections list

All ensembles are expected to present an appropriate program of up to 4 pieces, with a playing time of up to:

  • 15 minutes for orchestras in Novice, C and B Divisions
  • 20 minutes for orchestras in A and Premier Divisions.

There are no set work requirements this year, which is a change for 2025. However, each piece presented should align with the following publisher-indicated grade levels.

Full Orchestra
  • Premier Division = grades 4 and above
  • A Division = grades 3 and 3.5
  • B Division = grades 2 and 2.5
  • C Division = by application only. Please email president@abodawa.com.au2.
String Orchestra
  • Premier Division = grades 4 and above
  • A Division = grades 3 and 3.5
  • B Division = grade 2.5
  • C Division = grade 2
  • Novice Division = grade 1.5 and below

Novice groups may continue to choose to be graded or ungraded in this format.

If a work you wish to perform does not have a publisher-indicated grade and you need guidance, please email president@abodawa.com.au2.

Ensembles are encouraged to perform a work by an Australian composer or a composer from an underrepresented group, such as women, Indigenous peoples or LGBTQIA+ people.

For more information or advice on music selection, email president@abodawa.com.au2. 

There is an extensive repertoire list for guidance for 2025. Access the Orchestra festival list3. Many of these pieces are available at the Instrumental Music School Services Resource Centre.

In 2025, some pieces on the repertoire list may not align precisely with the stated grade levels. For example, some A Division works may be listed as Grade 2.5 or 4 by the publisher. You may select pieces from the repertoire list for your division, even if their grade level does not exactly match the stated requirement. If you choose a piece not on the repertoire list, it must comply with the stated grade level guidelines.

+Other festival conditions

Disadvantaged orchestras can apply for up to 2 extra players when submitting their application. Extra players can include current students, ex-students or teachers, in special circumstances.

Many string orchestras perform at the festival with violin and viola sections standing up. To ensure that each session runs with a minimum of seating changes, these orchestras will be scheduled to perform in succession. If you require your orchestra to stand up while performing it is essential that you tick the appropriate box on the application form.

+Photographs

Photographs of participating orchestras from the 2023 festival are available for viewing and purchase at ProPhotoBooth4. Use the password 'aboda23'.

+Volunteering

One of the reasons for the outstanding success of the festival over the last 40 years is the contribution made by volunteers. Some of the tasks we need volunteers for include stage management, ticket selling and marshalling.

Volunteering is a great way to meet other directors and hear bands from other schools and divisions.

If you are interested in volunteering, register for your preferred session or sessions using the online database5.

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