Promote the musical art form, further its development and teaching, and make it more accessible by supporting music artists and others dedicated to studying it or pursuing it as a career. Set high standards across Canada by holding a major national competition open to the greatest possible number of young musicians at all stages of their training.

Contribute to the vitality of Canadian culture by supporting exceptional young musicians.

Excellence – Perseverance – Commitment – Determination

The Canadian Music Competition has been at the centre of musical life across the country for close to 65 years. Since it was founded in Montreal in 1958 by Claude Deschamps, Pierre Emond, and Charles Charrère, the organization has ensured the vitality of new generations of high-level classical musicians in every community in which it is active, thereby demonstrating its commitment and raison d’être on the Canadian cultural landscape.

First known by the name Festival de musique du Québec (1958), it extended its activities to other Canadian provinces in 1971, as the Canadian Music Competition. The Stepping Stone component was created that same year, with a goal of giving talented musicians the opportunity to prove themselves under conditions that are very similar to those at international competitions.

The regions are at the core of the CMC’s operations across the country. Set up in the form of chapters, the CMC is present in 13 cities: six (6) regions of Quebec (Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec, Montreal, Quebec City, Rimouski-Gaspé, Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean, Sherbrooke), in Ontario (Toronto), Nova Scotia (Halifax), Manitoba (Winnipeg), Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), Alberta (Edmonton and Calgary), and British Columbia (Vancouver). The same spirit that motivated the founders remains alive and well today among all the volunteers who contribute to the Canadian Music Competition. They are pillars of the organization, giving the Competition the energy it requires to pursue its goals.

The Canadian Music Competition has persisted throughout its history because it was built on solid foundations and has consistently been able to adapt to changing conditions in society, with its organizers always using their imagination and demonstrating their passion and determination. A gathering of this scale represents a leading artistic showcase for the discovery of top-level talent, a unique educational tool for music teachers (from the elementary school to university levels), a source of motivation, and an indispensable learning environment for emerging musicians.

Since its creation in 1958, the Canadian Music Competition has been witness to an ongoing stream of thousands of young musicians, among them, some of the greatest names on the national and international scene today, including Marc-André Hamelin, Chantal Juillet, Louis Lortie, Martin Beaver, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, André Laplante, Gwen Hoebig, Richard Raymond, Susan Hoeppner, Stéphane Lemelin, Robert Silverman, Angela Cheng, Boris Brott, Anne-Marie Dubois, Jacques Hétu, Desmond Hoebig, Denis Brott, Angela Hewitt, Janina Fialkowska, Glen Montgomery, James Ehnes, Kerson Leong, and many more.