The Royal Conservatory of Music Announces Music Lights the Way Piano Festival and Competition

The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), the largest and most respected music education institution in the world with such notable alumni as Sarah McLachlan and Shania Twain, will be hosting the first-ever Music Lights the Way Piano Festival. Unlike other music festivals, the RCM Music Lights the Way Piano Festival is designed for piano students of all ages and levels, from casual players to aspiring professional musicians.

The festival is an inclusive and free event with over $150,000 in prizing, provided by Yamaha, and the chance to perform in Koerner Hall. The festival provides all piano students from across Canada and the US an opportunity to showcase their passion for music with divisions for youth and adults and fourteen categories.

Participants may submit their videos online until December 1st, 2022. The semi-finalists will be announced on January 15, 2023. Youth division finalists will be named on February 1, and on March 22 prize winners of both divisions will be announced.

The Music Lights The Way  Piano Festival is free to enter. Participants are required to submit a video recording of themselves performing a single piece from The RCM’s recently launched Celebration Series®, Sixth Edition Repertoire books. Festival entrants are encouraged to engage friends and family members to support their submission by voting for the audience choice award on the The Music Lights The Way Piano Festival site.

The grand finale of the festival on March 21 will feature live performances by finalists in Levels 5 – 10 of the Youth Division at The RCM’s Koerner Hall in Toronto, Canada. The winners will be announced on March 22. The event will be recorded for fans from around the world to enjoy.  

Festival performances will be judged by a distinguished panel that will include members of The RCM College of Examiners. The jury will apply the established rubrics of The RCM Certificate Program to ensure consistent evaluation of all participants. 

To learn more about The RCM Music Lights The Way Piano Festival, please visit rcmusic.com/festival.

About The RCM

The Royal Conservatory of Music is one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world, providing the definitive standard of excellence in curriculum design, assessment, performance training, teacher certification and arts-based social programs. Entrenched in the minds and hearts of Canadians, The Royal Conservatory has united generations of citizens since its inception in 1886.

### Source: RCM