Calgary Performing Arts Festival, PO Box 94021/Elbow River RPO, Calgary, AB (2026)

10/07/2026

Presenting the 2026 Rose Bowl Winner Series - Charlotte Giraudeau

Charlotte Giraudeau was named the recipient of the 2026 Rose Bowl, along with a $10,000 scholarship to support her continued studies and artistic development. Join us as we take a closer look at Charlotte, what music means to her, and what is next.

“I am incredibly honoured to have been named the recipient of the 2026 Rose Bowl by the Calgary Performing Arts Festival. I have participated in the Calgary Performing Arts Festival for about 10 years now, and this recognition represents the many years of learning, growth and hard work. This award means so much to me, and I am very grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout my musical journey. Thank you to my teachers, family, friends and the festival for their unwavering dedication, inspiration and encouragement throughout the years.”

— Charlotte Giraudeau

Charlotte’s artistry, dedication, and years of commitment to her craft stood out across her many performances in this year’s festival. Her achievement reflects not only an exceptional level of performance, but also the growth, discipline, and passion that the Calgary Performing Arts Festival is proud to celebrate in young artists.

“Charlotte’s performances were a beautiful example of what the Rose Bowl represents,” said Weston Jacques, President of CPAF. “We are thrilled to recognize her talent, dedication, and artistic growth, and we look forward to seeing where her musical journey takes her next.”

Please join us in congratulating Charlotte on this outstanding achievement. We are proud to celebrate her success and wish her the very best as she continues this exciting next chapter.

10/01/2026

Wait… is she playing those strings with tiny hammers? 👀🎶

She is! Meet the yangqin (扬琴), a traditional Chinese string instrument and a member of the hammered dulcimer family.

Instead of plucking the strings like a guitar or bowing them like a violin, the yangqin player uses two thin, flexible bamboo beaters to strike the strings. The result is a bright, ringing sound that can be delicate one moment and fast and lively the next.

Here, Amy is showing us just what this beautiful instrument can do. ❤️

Many of the disciplines at the Calgary Performing Arts Festival come from what is often called Western music—musical traditions that developed mainly in Europe and later North America, including much of the classical, orchestral, band and choral music familiar to our audiences.

But music is much bigger than any one tradition. 🌎

Around the world, people have developed different instruments, sounds and ways of making music. Our World Music category gives performers an opportunity to bring some of those traditions—and instruments like the yangqin—to our Festival stage.

And we love getting the chance to learn about them!

❤️ Double-tap if you want to discover more instruments from our World Music category.

📅 Registration for the 2027 Calgary Performing Arts Festival opens November 1, 2026 at CPAFestival.ca.

09/29/2026

MEET OUR 2027 ADJUDICATORS 🎸
Emma Rush - Guitar Adjudicator
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Emma Rush is “widely regarded as one of Canada’s premier classical guitarists” (Vivascene Magazine), with a career that has taken her to stages across Canada and around the world. Her international appearances include festivals in China, Mexico and Sweden, and in 2026 she performs throughout Canada as well as at the prestigious Iserlohn International Guitar Symposium in Germany and on tour in the United Kingdom.

Her recordings reflect a strong commitment to bringing overlooked music to new audiences. Her 2025 release, The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten, features many first recordings and was named CBC In Concert’s Record of the Week. A Dream of Colour (2023) features contemporary Canadian works commissioned by Rush, while Wake the Sigh (2020) explores rare 19th-century guitar music written by women. Her work has been heard on CBC, NPR and Radio France and featured in Classical Guitar Magazine and Fretboard Journal.

An experienced educator, Rush is a guest lecturer at colleges and universities across North America and regularly gives masterclasses while touring. She is a 2026 recipient of a Chalmers Fellowship supporting her research on guitarist-composers Catharina Pratten and Dolores de Goñi.

Rush is also a dedicated community builder and Co-Director of GuitarFest West in Calgary, as well as Director of Hamilton Guitar Day and the Nelson Guitar Festival. She completed graduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold in Germany and holds a Bachelor of Music from Dalhousie University.

We are excited to see what our young performers will get to learn and experience from someone of Emma's calibre!😊

09/28/2026

Were you once a performer at the Calgary Performing Arts Festival? The Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival? We’d love to find you. ❤️🎶

For over 95 years, young performers have walked onto our stages carrying music, speeches, butterflies, hours of practice—and probably a few very nervous parents waiting in the audience.

Some came back year after year. Some performed only once.

And then life took them in all kinds of directions.

As we begin looking ahead to our 100th anniversary, we want to hear the stories of the people who have been part of our Festival along the way.

If you performed with the Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival or Calgary Performing Arts Festival, tell us:

• Your first name
• What you performed — piano, voice, violin, speech, guitar, band, choir or another discipline
• The year (or years) you participated — your best guess is okay!
• What you remember about the experience
• Something you learned or took away from it
• What you’re doing today (career-wise)

You certainly didn’t have to have become a professional musician or performer. That’s part of the story we want to tell. (Although we want to hear if you chose that path as well.)

Maybe you’re now a teacher, engineer, nurse, business owner, parent, artist—or something you never imagined when you were standing backstage waiting for your turn.

Did performing stay with you? Did you learn something that followed you into the rest of your life?

We’d love to hear about it.

📩 Send us a DM at Calgary Performing Arts Festival or email your story to [email protected] (with 100 years in the subject heading).

And please share this post. You never know which former Festival performer it might reach.

Being around for over 95 years means there are a LOT of stories out there.

Let’s find them. ❤️

09/23/2026

MEET OUR 2027 ADJUDICATORS 🎹
David Sharpe - Piano Adjudicator

Dr. David Sharpe is a versatile pianist and educator who has performed and presented across Canada, the USA and Europe. Born in Summerside, PEI, Sharpe holds an ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) and bachelor degrees in music (with distinction) and education from Mt. Allison University, where he was Valedictorian. Studying under Edmund Dawe, he won the Atlantic Young Artistic Competition in 1995. Sharpe went on to attain master and doctoral degrees in piano performance and pedagogy from Arizona State University, studying under Janice Meyer Thompson, where he also completed a law degree. During his time at ASU, Sharpe was the collegiate winner in Arizona of the MTNA performance competition in piano three years in a row, and won several awards for the performance of contemporary music. He has premiered new works, performed in contemporary music ensembles, performed with orchestras in the southwest US, and taken part in several festivals including Adamant, Vermont; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband in Münster, Germany. He has taught in the summer piano program at Interlochen, Michigan.

Dr. Sharpe serves as a senior piano and piano pedagogy examiner for RCM Examinations. In addition, Dr. Sharpe has served as a reviewer for the Frederick Harris Music Company, and presented workshops on their publications to piano teacher associations across the USA. He has presented at local, provincial, state, national and international music conferences including the CFMTA, MTNA and EPTA (European Piano Teachers’ Association) on a variety of topics including building music memory and tying the title to the teaching – bringing musical images to life. Adjudication duties have included local, provincial, state and national competitions. His piano students have won top honors in music competitions and examinations. Dr. Sharpe is based in Stratford, PEI, has served as board president of the PEI Symphony Orchestra and is a member of the PEIRMTA.

We're excited to have Dr. Sharpe part of the adjudication team working with our piano performers this coming year!🎶

09/20/2026

Because when the moments matter most, we turn to music. 🎶❤️

Think about some of the biggest moments in our lives.

A bride walking down the aisle.
A graduate crossing the stage.
A crowd standing for a national anthem.
A family celebrating a milestone.
A community coming together.
A final goodbye to someone we love.

There is music.

We use it to celebrate. To remember. To comfort. To bring people together. And sometimes, when we can't find the right words, music says what we can't.

That's why music education matters.

The young person learning their first notes today may someday play at someone's wedding, lead a school band, sing on a professional stage, perform in a community orchestra—or simply grow into an adult who understands and loves music.

At the Calgary Performing Arts Festival, we believe giving young people opportunities to learn, perform and share their music matters.

Because music isn't just something we learn.

It's part of how we celebrate, how we remember, and how we experience life together.

❤️ Double-tap if music has been part of some of the most important moments in your life.

09/14/2026

Can you picture yourself performing on this stage? 🎶✨

In 2027, some Calgary Performing Arts Festival participants will get that chance!

We’re excited to welcome the Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall at the Rozsa Centre, University of Calgary, as one of our festival stages.

We can’t wait to fill this beautiful space with music and watch our performers have their moment in the spotlight.❤️

📅 Registration for the 2027 Calgary Performing Arts Festival opens November 1, 2026 at CPAFestival.ca.

Start thinking about what YOU might perform! 🎵

09/11/2026

A new stage is waiting for some of our performers in 2027! 🎶✨

The Calgary Performing Arts Festival is growing, and we’re excited to welcome the Rozsa Centre at the University of Calgary as one of our 2027 festival venues!

That means our young performers will have the opportunity to perform on three incredible Calgary stages:

🎭 Engineered Air Theatre | Werklund Centre
Speech Arts

🎶 Rozsa Centre | University of Calgary
Guitar, Strings, Woodwinds, World Music, Commercial Contemporary Music, Classical Vocal, Musical Theatre, Chamber Ensembles & Percussion

🎹 Leacock Theatre | Mount Royal University
Piano, Choral, Concert Bands, Orchestras & Jazz Bands

✍️ Music Composition will be scheduled between April 20 and May 1, depending on the discipline.

For students, there’s something pretty special about stepping onto a stage and realizing, “This is my moment.” We can’t wait to see those moments happening across Calgary in 2027. ❤️

📅 Registration opens November 1, 2026 at CPAFestival.ca.

Please remember, this is our working schedule. Some dates may change once we know how many performers and groups are registered in each discipline.

Teachers, students and parents — start marking those calendars!

09/05/2026

Have you ever watched a performance and felt something you couldn't quite put into words? 🎶❤️

That's the wonderful thing about the arts.

We don't have to be the same to experience them together.

We can come from different backgrounds. We can speak different languages. We can be 8 or 80. We can love classical music, musical theatre, jazz, poetry or something completely different.

But when a young performer steps onto the stage, something happens.

For those few minutes, we listen together.
We feel together.
We celebrate together.

Music doesn't need a translator to give us goosebumps. A beautiful performance doesn't need an explanation to make us smile. And you don't have to know the person on stage to feel proud when you watch them find the courage to share something they've worked so hard to prepare.

That's the power of the arts. They give us something to share, even when we are different.

And in a world where it can sometimes feel like there is more dividing us than bringing us together, perhaps we need that more than ever.

❤️ Double-tap if you believe the arts have the power to bring people together.

08/31/2026

August is the deadline. But today is an opportunity. ❤️🎶

We know there are a lot of worthy causes asking for your support. And we know that, for many families, there isn't a lot of extra money to go around right now.

So we're not asking you to give a lot.

We're asking you to give if you can.

Because $10, $20 or $50, when joined with the gifts of others, can help give a young performer something pretty special - their moment in the spotlight.🌟

A moment to step onto a stage.

To take a deep breath and find the courage to begin.

To hear thoughtful feedback from a professional adjudicator.

To discover that all those hours of practice really did lead somewhere.

And sometimes, to walk off that stage believing in themselves a little more than they did when they walked on.

That's what your donation to the Calgary Performing Arts Festival helps make possible.

And right now, your gift has the opportunity to go even further. Through Rogers Birdies for Kids presented by , eligible donations received by August 31, 2026 can be matched by up to 50%.

So a $20 gift has the potential to become $30.
A $50 gift could become $75.
And many small gifts together can make a very big difference.

August 31 is the deadline.

If music, performing, a special teacher, or simply having someone believe in you made a difference when you were young, perhaps this is your chance to help give that experience to someone else.

❤️ Help give young performers their moment.

Donate at CPAFestival.ca/Donate or https://rogerscharityclassic.com/charities/cpafestival/

And if donating isn't possible right now, sharing this post can help too.

Calgary Performing Arts Festival

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