The Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival (GVPAF) is an annual showcase that demonstrates the deep pool of talented individuals who make Victoria their home. It’s also an opportunity for the community to see some of the best emerging talent in the community.

For the performers, the GVPAF provides multiple benefits as well. Firstly, of course, they are provided with a professional stage upon which to perform and the chance to entertain a live, and always appreciative, audience.

There is also an educational component to the festival as professional and highly qualified adjudicators provide their feedback to each performer.

Each participant also has the opportunity to win awards that range from plaques and certificates to cash prizes. More than 400 awards are given, including the Roberto and Mary Wood scholarship, which is a $5,000 award to an outstanding instrumental or classical voice performer to encourage their pursuit of post-secondary music education.

The GVPAF begins in early April and is spread across multiple venues, hosting more than 5,000 performers across 16 disciplines. The competition and concerts are well attended by enthusiastic audiences.

Beyond the juried competitions, the GVPAF also hosts a series of 10 concerts that include the Studio & International Dance Highlights Concert, the Strings Highlights Concert, the Brass, Woodwinds, & Classical Guitar Highlights Concert, the Choral Highlights Concert, the Intermediate & Senior Piano Highlights Concert, the Speech & Dramatic Arts Highlights Concert, the Composition & Jr. Piano Highlights Concert, the School Dance Highlights Concert, the Voice Highlights Concert, and the Roberto & Mary Wood Scholarship Concert.

But beyond the performance listings and the awards announcements, the true heart of the festival is and always has been the individual performers.

Take Noa Pastor, for example. At 15 years of age, she has been a participant in the GVPAF since she was only six years old, when she competed in the piano portion of the event. Since that time, she has expanded her interests in the performing arts, due at least in part to the feedback she received at the GVPAF.

“Now I do voice, speech, fiddle, composition, studio dance, strings and musical theatre,” said Pastor. “I want to make the performing arts a career.”

In fact, Pasto will be working toward that goal when she attends Edmonton’s MacEwan University in the fall.

“The festival provides a great opportunity for young performers, and I think that’s what always drew me back,” she said. “I’ve been lucky enough to win some awards and have been nominated for the BC Performing Arts Festival. But I think that what I’ve valued the most is the feedback I’ve received from the fantastic adjudicators over the years.”

Those adjudicators have always been an integral part of the festival. Back in 1927 when the festival first started, festival organizers were dedicated to getting the very best, and adjudicators were imported from Eastern Canada and Great Britain.

“The adjudicators provide so much help to the performers to help them improve in their craft. I know they helped me over the years, more than I can say.”

More information on the GVPAF and a full calendar of the performances can be found at www.gvpaf.org.