Southern California Junior Bach Festival

To cultivate knowledge and understanding of Bach's music.

SCJBF TEACHER LOGIN

LOGIN QUESTIONS? Please email: scjbf@evensteps.com

Organ and Harpsichord Regional Festivals

Organ Regional Festival

Organ Co-Chair
David Ball
(314) 737-2737 • Email

Organ Co-Chair
Dr. Emma Whitten
Email

Eligibility

The Southern California Junior Bach Festival (SCJBF) is open to all students who wish to perform original works by J.S. Bach. Organ students must not have reached their 22nd birthday by April 1st of the Festival year.

Eligible Repertoire

  • Regional Festival: Any original organ work or movement by J.S. Bach.
  • Complete Works Audition (CWA): Any complete original work of J.S. Bach or two contrasting Chorale Preludes.
  • Memorization not required.

Organ Regional Festival

Sunday, May 24, 2026
All Souls Episcopal Church (Point Loma)
1475 Catalina Blvd
San Diego, CA 92107

  • Registration Opens: May 8, 2026
  • Registration Closes: May 23, 2026

The Organ Festival format for 2026 is as follows:

  1. Organ students perform in a combined (one round) All-Branch Regional Festival and Complete Works Auditions.
  2. The Organ Regional/CWA Festival will be in person this year in an OPEN recital format with audience .
  3. A panel of three judges will write comments about each performance and will select up to 45% of the students in each division as Regional Medalists.
  4. The panel of judges will also select Complete Works Audition (CWA) gold (1st-place), silver (2nd-place), and bronze (3rd-place) medalists if any organ students present an eligible complete CWA program.
    • Please keep in mind that if you wish for your students to be considered for CWA medals, the repertoire performed at the All-Branch Regional Festival must be chosen from the official CWA list (available here) and performed complete as indicated on the list.
  5. First-place winners of the CWA will be invited to perform at the CWA Awards Concert to be held on Saturday, October 17, 2026 (tentative).
  6. All other Rules and Teacher Guidelines of the SCJBF apply.
  7. 2026 SCJBF Regional Festival Student Registration Fees are:
    • $65 per solo performer

Sylvia Shorey Barton Memorial Scholarship

In addition, the Sylvia Shorey Barton Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500 will be awarded annually to the CWA Organ winner. The scholarship recipient must perform at the CWA Awards Concert to receive the monetary prize.

Sylvia Barton passed away on March 22, 2023. She was a member of the SCJBF Executive Board for over 50 years and was a pillar in our music teaching community. She was a very clear and deliberate speaker, skilled writer and a person who always made sure that presentations were first rate. She was a kind person who projected dignity and professionalism. Our wonderful friend & colleague will be greatly missed. With a generous donation from Kathryn Barton, SCJBF has established the Sylvia Shorey Barton Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500 to be awarded annually to the CWA Organ winner. Donations to this scholarship and other SCJBF programs can be made at scjbf.org.

Harpsichord Regional Festival

Harpsichord Chair
Dr. Deborah H. How
(310) 968-3377 • Email
Registration Questions? Please Email: scjbf@evensteps.com

Eligibility
The Southern California Junior Bach Festival (SCJBF) is open to all students who wish to perform original works by J.S. Bach.

  • Harpsichord students perform in a COMBINED (one round) All-Branch Regional Festival and Complete Works Auditions.
    • Harpsichord students will not have reached their 19th birthday by April 1st of the Festival year.
    • Harpsichord students may participate in Bach Branch (Keyboard) Festivals; however, they are not eligible to be selected as Branch Winners but may receive Honorable Mention Awards.
    • If a Harpsichord student is also participating in a Bach Regional Keyboard (Piano) Festival, they may not perform the same repertoire, and they may not perform any repertoire that would complete the Keyboard (Piano) Category at the Complete Works Audition.
      • For example, if piano student is playing the Allemande and Courante from the French Suite #6 in E Major, BWV 817 (Category VII) at a Regional Keyboard (Piano) Festival, they may not also perform the Allemande, Courante, and/or the Sarabande, Gigue from the French Suite #6 in E Major, BWV 817 at the Harpsichord Regional Festival.
      • However, they may perform the Polonaise, Menuet, and/or Bourrée from the French Suite #6 in E Major, BWV 817 (Category II) at the Harpsichord Regional Festival.
  • Eligible Regional Repertoire
  • Eligible Complete Works Audition Repertoire

Harpsichord Regional Festival

Sunday, May 17, 2026
Westside Music Conservatory
12424 Wilshire Blvd Ste 100
West Los Angeles (Brentwood) 90025
https://westsidemusicconservatory.com/location-directions-parking/

  • Registration Opens: April 15, 2026
  • Registration Closes: May 5, 2026

The Harpsichord Festival format for 2026 is as follows:

  1. Harpsichord students perform in an All-Branch Regional Festival.
  2. The All-Branch Harpsichord Regional Festival will be in person this year in an OPEN recital format with audience at the Region IV Keyboard (Piano) Festival.
  3. A panel of three judges will write comments about each performance and will select up to 45% of the students in each division as Regional Medalists.
  4. The panel of judges will also select Complete Works Audition (CWA) gold (1st-place), silver (2nd-place), and bronze (3rd-place) medalists if any Harpsichord students present an eligible complete CWA program.
  5. First-place winners of the CWA will be invited to perform at the CWA Awards Concert to be held on Saturday, October 17, 2026 (tentative).
  6. All other Rules and Teacher Guidelines of the SCJBF apply.
  7. 2026 SCJBF Regional Festival Student Registration Fees are:
    • $65 per solo performer
    • $50 per double concerto performer
  8. 2026 SCJBF CWA Student Registration Fees are:
    • $75 per solo performer
    • $60 per double concerto performer