AUSTA WA String Festival 2025

Quick!  Get $10 off with Early Bird pricing through 30 April 2025   All registrations close 23 May at 11:59pm. 

We look forward to welcoming teachers and students of all levels to this exciting annual event. One piece, up to 5 minutes, is to be performed for each ticket purchased. Beginner medleys of 2-3 pieces under 30 seconds each, may be approved on application, let us know in Special Requests.

Most sessions will showcase a variety of levels, ages, and instruments, but we have several special sessions available this year as well:

• Regular sessions: Share your solos, duets, trios, or quartets (under 5 minuntes) in a non-competitive, welcome enviroment.  If your piece is 5-10 minutes, please register for two timeslots.
• Adult Friendly sessions: We understand that adult learners have different goals and needs than younger students. And while adult performers are welcome in any session, these special sessions offer a bit of extra support for both solos and ensembles for anyone 16 and over.
• Alternative Styles: Are you an improviser, a looper, or wanting to use electric instruments and/or effects?  This is your session!  Registration includes a 10-minute time slot to allow for set-up, performance, and clean-up; we will have an amplifier and power board in the room for all performers.
• Advanced Showcase - Solos & Chamber Ensembles: Special sessions for advanced performers (solos at AMEB Gr7+ / ensembles at AMEB Gr6+ or equivalent) with 15 minute timeslots for longer performance times and feedback from 2 adjudicators.

Enter as an individual (with accompaniment or unaccompanied, if the work does not require accompaniment), or as a member of a string chamber group of up to four players - duets, trios or quartets - with each player playing an individual part.   If a work has an accompaniment part, play it with your own accompanist or use the collaborative pianist provided by AUSTA. AUSTA covers the performance fees for Festival accompanists. Rehearsals if needed are to be arranged by you once you are allocated an accompanist when scheduling has been finalised. This year, you are required to select an piano accompanist or specify that you are providing your own on registration.

This event is free for audience members to attend, so invite your family and friends to support your performance.  Food and beverages will be available to purchase until 2pm at the Grindhouse Cafe located across the courtyard from our performance space.  

Registration Notes

If you are registering before 1 May, the price you see is the Early Bird price. 

Have your piece title, composer and duration ready when you register.  Incomplete registrations will be cancelled and refunded less a $10 administrative fee.

Remember that pieces with a written accompaniment MAY NOT be performed unaccompanied.

Select your session carefully.  There will be a fee of $15 for any requested session/piece changes after registration is submitted and ABSOLUTELY NO CHANGES will be considered after 23 May 2025.

Students of AUSTA members and AUSTA members will have received a code via email for a 20% discount; please address membership questions if applicable prior to proceding with booking, and contact AUSTA Administration admin@austa.asn.au for membership enquiries. See the AUSTA WA web page for updates and more information.  The AUSTA membership discount can be combined with an early bird registration.

2025 Festival Adjudicators:

• Kierstan Arkleysmith
• Brian Finlayson
• Rennae Van der Laan
• Zoe Van Drunen
• Noeleen Wright

2025 Festival Accompanists:

• Kendra (Smith) Hamersley (Ellenbrook)
• Michelle Komatsu (Double View)
• Stephanie Nicholls (NOR) 

This event will be held in conjunction with any COVID and child safety requirements. 

WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
1/2 Bradford Street
Mt Lawley, WA 6050

Ruth Klein Cook - petiteviolon@gmail.com

Stephanie Fraser - wapresident@austa.asn.au  ‭