WA Schools' Senior Orchestra Festival

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

Event details

Date: Saturday 9 August 2025.

Venue: Churchlands Senior High School.

Eligibility: The festival is open to any public school or non-government 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 3, Term 2 on Friday 16 May 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. Access the online application form¹.

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased at the event only, there are no presales. Ticket prices for audience members are:

$8.00 Adults
$6.00 Concession

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

Note: Performers and directors will be admitted without charge.

Festival aims
Adjudication and grading
Music selections list
Other festival conditions
Stage plans
Photographs
Volunteering

The aims of the WA Schools' Senior 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.
provide orchestras with the opportunity to work with top level directors in a workshop format.
present to each orchestra an adjudication and certificate which recognises its participation and recognised standard of performance.

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

Directors will receive 2 recordings of their orchestra, including one with spoken adjudicator’s comments superimposed over the music.

During each performance, conductors will be filmed if requested and given constructive and confidential feedback on their conducting by an adjudicator. Feedback will be emailed to the conductor (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 available for regional schools.

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

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

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

Ensembles are encouraged to perform a work by an Australian composer or a composer from an underrepresented group, for example: women, Indigenous peoples, 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.

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 ensembles 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.

Access a stage plan for the auditorium ⁴and for the concert hall⁵.

Photographs of participating orchestras from the 2024 festival are available for viewing and purchase at ProPhotoBooth⁶. Use the password 'aboda24'.

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 database⁷.

Contact us

Email Instrumental Music School Services at IM.SS.Events@education.wa.edu.au⁸.
Email Australian Band and Orchestra Director's Association (WA) president at president@abodawa.com.au².

WA Schools' Senior Orchestra Festival