2026 Syllabus - Fiddle
The selection must have been performed at the Local Festival and received a minimum mark of 85 and the recommendation of the local Adjudicator.
Adjudicators will consider the following criteria: intonation, technical proficiency, overall accuracy, danceability, expression and emotion, and the variety of tunes, whether from one specific fiddle style or a variety of styles.
Recognized fiddle styles include but are not limited to: Country, Old Time, Cape Breton, Swing, Métis, Bluegrass, French Canadian etc.
Classical, jazz, blues, trick fiddling, show tunes and other non-traditional fiddle styles are not permitted. ('Double shuffle' is acceptable if it is a traditional part of the song).
Pieces must represent Canadian fiddling styles and place emphasis on traditional fiddling elements.
Contrasting tunes can be played in one style (e.g. contrasting Old-Time tunes) or in any number of variety of styles (e.g. Bluegrass, Cape Breton jig, Old-Time Waltz).
Fiddle classes require progress from one style of piece to another without pause.
Competitors may incorporate improvisation, as long as the original meter and core structure of the piece are preserved. Adjudicators will assess the effectiveness of the improvisation, paying special attention to its adherence to traditional fiddling and Canadian fiddle styles.
An accompanist may choose to chord only.
Competitors will need to provide a transcription of the melody line (could be from a big book or handwritten) and must indicate the title and the composer.
General Rules
All competitors must be an amateur. Please click here for the full definition of Amateur vs Professional: omfa.ca/amateur-vs-professional
No announcement of name or selection is permitted prior to your performance.
Live Festival - originals must be provided at the time of registration.
Virtual Festival - a pdf of the music must be uploaded at the time of registration.
It is important to note that if the Festival office has to contact you because of incomplete information (i.e. missing movements, pieces at the wrong grade level, etc.) will result in an additional $25 charge. Failure to pay the charge will result in disqualification and refunds will not be given.
All criteria listed in the OMFA General Rules (omfa.ca/festival/rules-and-regulations) must be strictly adhered to.
****All of the requirements for video submissions are detailed in the red Virtual Submission Requirements button.****