for Concert & Symphonic Band, Wind Ensembles, Jazz Bands & Choir

Welcome to Sun Peaks, a beautiful Alpine Village located 30 minutes outside of Kamloops, BC and an inspiring location for a music festival.  For 21 years, Con Brio has turned Sun Peaks into a Band, Jazz Band and Choir camp culminating in massed choir and massed band performances. The village provides a safe, walkable festival environment for all participants.

Con Brio Sun Peaks is a NON-COMPETITIVE festival with a grading option. There are three festival categories that operate concurrently within the Sun Peaks Music Festival:

• Concert & Symphonic Band
• Choir & Chamber Choir
• Jazz/Stage Band: Offered only in conjunction with registration of a concert band or choir.

All sizes of ensemble in a balanced combination of instruments or voices are welcome.  Every aspect of  Con Brio Sun Peaks is based on active learning through participation. Scheduling is planned so that students in multiple ensembles may participate in all events. Students and teachers alike will leave the Festival enriched with new skills and ideas.

Festival Overview – FRIDAY

Arrive in Sun Peaks and check into your hotel. The Festival opens at 1:00 p.m.  Choirs perform and workshop today and instrumentalists participate in intensive workshops (woodwinds,  saxophones,  brass, electric bass, string bass and percussion).  Students begin participation in a 2-day scavenger hunt, and instrumental directors are offered a professional development workshop before meeting with colleagues, adjudicators and festival organizers at a Director’s Reception hosted by Ellison Travel & Tours.

SATURDAY

Adjudication and workshops for concert band and jazz bands take place today. Each adjudicated performance provides the basis for building on ensemble strengths in the 30-minute workshop that follows. Singers participate in voice intensives and a massed choir rehearsal and choral directors in a professional development workshop. In the evening, the Gala Festival Concert features professional special guest performers. See CONCERT for this year’s line up.  A mass is arranged for Catholic schools.

SUNDAY

Sunday morning the festival climaxes with choral students performing as a massed choir, followed by instrumentalists as a massed band. Directors collect their adjudications and personalized plaques. The Festival ends at 9:15 a.m. for choirs and 10:35 a.m. and Noon for bands.

Every aspect of the  Con Brio Sun Peaks Music Festival is based on active learning through participation. Scheduling is meticulously planned so that students in multiple ensembles may participate in all events. Students and teachers alike will leave the Festival enriched with new skills and ideas.

“I truly enjoyed the opportunity to interact with such a positive and dedicated faculty and staff. The positive spirit Con Brio creates in an incomparably beautiful environment make this a life-changing event for the musicians in attendance.”

Dr. Paula A. Crider, Prof. Emeritus, University of Texas, Past President, The American Bandmasters Association

MEDIA/SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE

Local and/or national media, including social media, radio stations, television stations, newspapers and magazine writers and photographers, may be invited to attend Con Brio Festivals. The media may record comments, videotape and photograph for various programs, documentaries and features. This includes videographers and photographers employed by Con Brio Festivals directly to archive and capture the festival in its entirety. All ensembles (unless they have notified the Festival in writing that they do not wish to participate) will be considered for participation. Registering for the Festival constitutes the Ensemble’s agreement and permission for such media coverage, and constitutes a waiver of all copyrights, fees and royalties unless the Festival is notified in advance in writing.