Glossary of Terms

Accompaniment – A subordinate part for instruments, voices or ensembles – usually piano.

Adult – A competitor over the age of 29 as of January 1, 2026.

Advanced Level – Competitors who are are between the ages of 19-28 as of January 1, 2026.

ARCT/A.Mus. – The level directly after Level 10 in either the RCM and CC syllabi.

Class – Each discipline is divided into sub-categories by instrument, and/or by age, and/or by grade level. Each is identified by a five-digit number.

Competitor – A non-professional student who has been recommended to a class indicated in the OMFA Syllabus.

Conservatory – A music training institution that publishes lists of repertoire for exams.

CC– Refers to the Conservatory Canada Syllabus

Discipline – A discipline is a particular area of musical or speech study. A discipline may be for a group such as Band and Chorus or may be for a soloist such as Piano, Vocal, Speech, and a number of different instruments.

Disqualification – Competitors who do not comply with the OMFA rules and regulations will be disqualified.

Graded Level – Applies to RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) or CC (Conservatory Canada) levels/grades from Grade 1 to 10.

Hand-Held Props – Items used onstage by the performer that can be held in their hands, eg. brush, wand, mirror scarf.

OMFA – Ontario Music Festivals Association is the umbrella body of 42 local member festivals in the province of Ontario

OPEN – Classes that are offered for competitors who are performing at the ARCT/A.Mus. level or above 

RCM – Refers to the Royal Conservatory of Music Syllabus