Students of music, dance and speech arts are busy preparing for the 88th annual Penticton Kiwanis Music Festival which will take place from March 5 to April 29.
The Festival is an opportunity for young performing artists to demonstrate their achievements in music, dance and speech arts to their peers and to the community and to have their performances professionally evaluated in a constructive and positive manner.
Last year there were more than 1,600 entries from Penticton and area, Summerland, Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Oliver, Osoyoos, Keremeos, and Cawston.
Online Registration opened Dec. 1 on the PKMF website at www.pkmf.org.
The registration deadline for piano, choral, classical voice, strings, instrumental and classical guitar is Jan. 15.
For popular music, musical theatre, speech arts, classical dance and stage dance, the registration deadline is Jan. 31.
The Festival opens on March 5 with classical voice and choral and follows with junior and senior piano, strings, instrumental and classical guitar.
Popular music will begin on April 5, followed by classical dance, musical theatre and stage dance.
Competitive sessions are open to the public.
The program will be available online at the end of February.
Two final concerts will be held at the Cleland Theatre – Music Highlights on May 2 and Dance Highlights on May 3.
Winners of the coming Penticton Festival will continue on to the Performing Arts BC Provincial Festival which is being hosted in Penticton in June.
Approximately 450 of B.C.’s most promising students of music, dance and speech arts will take part in adjudicated competitions, master classes, workshops and concerts.