Southern California Junior Bach Festival

To cultivate knowledge and understanding of Bach's music.

Welcome to the new SCJBF registration and payment system.
Previous usernames and passwords do NOT work in this new system.
Teachers must first be registered through their SCJBF Branch Portal.
Please contact your Bach Branch Chair for access to your SCJBF Branch Teacher Registration Portal.
Need Help? Please email: scjbf@evensteps.com

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String and Wind & Voice Regional Festivals

String Chair
Dr. Cheryl Scheidemantle
(626) 585-8894 • Email
Registration Questions? Please Email: scjbf@evensteps.com
Registration information was emailed on March 20, 2024 to teachers who participated in SCJBF in 2023. If you are a new teacher, please email Dr. Cheryl Scheidemantle: Email

Wind & Voice Chair
Emily An
(909) 568-6394 • Email
Registration Questions? Please Email: scjbf@evensteps.com
Registration information will be emailed tby April 1, 2024 o teachers who participated in SCJBF in 2023. If you are a new teacher, please email Emily An: Email

2024 String and Wind & Voice Festival Information

April 14, 2024 (SUN)
All-Branch Regional String Festival, all day
Westside Music Conservatory
12424 Wilshire Blvd Ste 100
West Los Angeles (Brentwood), CA 90025
https://westsidemusicconservatory.com/location-directions-parking/

May 18, 2024 (SAT) • REVISED DATE
All-Branch Regional Wind & Voice Festival, afternoon
Westside Music Conservatory
12424 Wilshire Blvd Ste 100
West Los Angeles (Brentwood), CA 90025
https://westsidemusicconservatory.com/location-directions-parking/

Eligibility
The Southern California Junior Bach Festival (SCJBF) is open to students who wish to perform original works by J.S. Bach and study with active, provisional, and student members of participating branches of MTAC.

SCJBF is also open to String, Wind, Voice, and Organ students of teachers who hold membership in the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), National Flute Association (NFA), National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), or American Guild of Organists (AGO). 

  • String, Wind, and Organ students will not have reached their 19th birthday by April 1st of the Festival year
  • Voice students will not have reached their 25th birthday by April 1st of the Festival year

Regional Festivals
The All-Branch String Festival and All-Branch Wind and Voice Festival will also serve as the Regional Festivals.  String, Wind, and Voice students may participate (for comments only) in their home MTAC Branch Bach Festival at their Branch’s discretion.

String Festival

April 14, 2024 (SUN)
All-Branch Regional String Festival, all day
Registration Deadline: March 31, 2024

The String Festival format for 2024 is as follows:

  1. String students perform in an All-Branch Regional Festival encompassing all of the MTAC branches and outside professional groups
  2. The All-Branch String Regional Festival is made up of two divisions: 
    1. Junior: students who will not have reached their 14th birthday by April 1st of the Festival year
    2. Senior: students who are 14 through 18 years old as of April 1st of the Festival year.
  3. Eligible instruments are violin, viola, violoncello, guitar, and lute
  4. The All-Branch String Regional Festival will be in person this year in an OPEN recital format with audience.
    • Registration DEADLINE (teachers): March 31, 2024
    • Payment DEADLINE (parent/student) : March 31, 2024
  1. 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
  2. Both Junior and Senior Regional Medalists playing eligible repertoire may advance to the Complete Works Auditions (CWA)
  3. All other Rules and Teacher Guidelines of the SCJBF apply
  4. Fee for a soloist: $45
  5. Fee for an ensemble: TBA

Wind & Voice Festival

May 18, 2024 (SAT) • REVISED DATE
All-Branch Regional Wind & Voice Festival, afternoon
Emily An, Chair

The Wind & Voice Festival format for 2024 is as follows:

  1. Wind and Voice students perform in an All-Branch Regional Festival encompassing all of the MTAC branches and outside professional groups
  2. The All-Branch Wind & Voice Regional Festival is made up of two divisions:
    1. Junior: Wind and Voice students who will not have reached their 15th birthday by April 1st of the Festival year
    2. Senior: Wind students who are 15 through 18 years old as of April 1st of the Festival year; Voice students who are 15 through 25 years old as of April 1st of the Festival year
  1. The All-Branch Wind & Voice Regional Festival will be in person this year in an OPEN recital format with audience
    • Registration DEADLINE (teachers): May 1, 2024
    • Payment DEADLINE (parent/student) : May 1, 2024
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. Both Junior and Senior Regional Medalists playing eligible repertoire may advance to the Complete Works Auditions (CWA)
  4. All other Rules and Teacher Guidelines of the SCJBF apply
  5. Fee for a soloist: $45
  6. Fee for an ensemble: TBA

Complete Works Audition (CWA)
The Complete Works Audition (CWA) is usually held in late September or early October of the Festival year.  To be eligible for the CWA, a student must have been chosen by the judges as a Regional Medalist at the All-Branch Regional Festival.  First place winners at the CWA will be invited to perform on a special SCJBF Memorial Awards Recital in early-to-mid October at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, where all CWA first, second, and third place winners will also be presented with CWA medals.  Please keep in mind that if you wish for your students to compete in the Complete Works Audition, the repertoire performed at the All-Branch Regional Festival must be chosen from the official Complete Works list (available here).