EARLY REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Click here to register.

To see the Festival schedule, click here.

RCCO Members: Log into your RCCO account before you begin the Festival registration process. This will ensure that the appropriate registration options are available to you, and will auto-fill your information for you.

On July 11, we will be holding a post-Festival organ crawl to visit four instruments in the region. As part of this event, we will be featuring several young Canadian organists in our Rising Stars Concert. Organists under the age of 30 are invited to submit expressions of interest to perform. A performance fee of $250 will be paid for a 20-minute concert. Interested organists should submit a CV and a recording no more than 10 minutes in length using the online application portal by April 30, 2025.

During the Festival, we will be holding three masterclasses (two for organists and one for choral conductors) open to those with intermediate to advanced skill levels. There will be three participants selected for each session. Those interested should submit a CV and a recording no more than 10 minutes in length by April 30, 2025 at this link.

Festival highlights:

• World-class solo performers: Isabelle Demers, Jonathan Oldengarm, Sarah Svendsen, Martin Jones, Joshua Ehlebracht and Alexander Straus-Fausto. Additional concerts will feature Esprit Singers of Winnipeg, organist Angelique Po, Inuk throat singer Qattuu and CBC's Tom Allen with J.S. Bach's Long Walk in the Snow.
  
  
• The semi-finals and finals of the National Organ Competition will be held on the first and third days of the Festival.
  
  
• Venues include: St Matthews Lutheran Church, St Peter's Lutheran Church, St Andrew's Presbyterian Church and the Church of St John the Evangelist in Kitchener; First United Church and Trillium Lutheran Church in Waterloo; and The Basilica of Our Lady and St George's Anglican Church in Guelph.
  
  
• There will be 18 workshops and masterclasses on a variety of topics ranging from professional development, expanding skillsets and RCCO Centre development.
  
  
• Registration fees include one lunch and our Festival Dinner at the beautiful Pavilion in the centre of Victoria Park, one of Ontario's most beautiful civic parks.
  
  
• All venues are fully accessible. For those with mobility issues, please indicate your needs at registration time and our mobility coordinator will work with you to ensure your stay is comfortable and problem-free.
  
  
• Join the Organ Crawl on Friday, July 11 and see and play some beautiful instruments that will not be featured during the Festival including instruments by Brunzema, Wolff, Casavant  and Guilbault-Thérien. (Additional cost. Lunch and transportation provided.)
  
  
• Friday, July 11 is also opening night for the leading summer choral festival in Ontario, The Elora Festival. Plan to stay in the area for Elora and also consider a visit to the world-famous Stratford Festival just a 30-minute drive from Kitchener.

   
We are pleased to offer convention attendees superior accommodation at a perfect location in Kitchener:

The Walper Hotel
20 Queen Street South
Kitchener, Ontario,
N2G 1V6 Canada

Upon registration, Festival attendees will receive the hotel booking link in their registration confirmation email. The special Festival rate of $189 per night is only available using this link.

Plan your vacation around the festival and explore these attractions which are within a 30-90 minute drive:

• Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake
• Wine regions in Niagara and Erie North Shore
• Elora Festival opening night on July 11
• Mennonite Country in Waterloo Region, including renowned St. Jacob's Market
• African Lion Safari, Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory, and more