The Melbourne School Bands/Strings Festival is a two week program where school bands mainly from metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, as well as country Victoria and interstate, gather to perform, listen and participate in tutorials. The Festival has an education focus. All ensembles receive either a Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit or Participation shield. The festival is produced and sponsored by Billy Hyde Music Foundation.

In 2008, the Festival's 20th anniversary, over 300 concert bands, jazz ensembles and string ensembles performed at the Robert Blackwood Concert Hall and School of Music Auditorium, Monash University

Monash University

Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....

. Since the inception of the festival in 1989 the number of students electing to learn an instrument through their school music program has increased substantially. The festival is now one of Australia's most prestigious musical events for school musicians.

The festival is designed to support and develop instrumental music education. Not only do students have the opportunity to perform at Australia's finest venues (acoustic-wise), but they receive adjudication from an outstanding panel of adjudicators.

The festival runs for two weeks until the Festival Finale on the last Saturday of August. The Finale showcases the most outstanding ensembles from the Festival and features the distribution of the awards.

Concert Bands

• Training Concert Band
• Novice Concert Band
• Junior Concert Band
• Intermediate Concert Band
• Symphonic Band

String Ensembles

• Beginner String Group
• Junior String Orchestra
• Senior String Orchestra
• Symphony Orchestra
• String Ensemble

Concert Bands

• 1989: Col. John Bourgeois, United States Marine Band, USA
• 1990: Col. John Bourgeois, United States Marine Band, USA
• 1991: Dr. Wayne Bennet, University of Oregon, USA
• 1992: James Swearingen, Composer, USA
• 1993: Col. John Bourgeois, United States Marine Band, USA
• 1994: Dr. Francis McBeth, Ouachita University, Arkansas, USA
• 1995: Dr. Barry Kopetz
  Barry Kopetz
  Barry E. Kopetz is an American music composer and conductor. Kopetz is currently the professor of conducting and Director of Bands at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to his appointment there, he was a professor of music at the University of Utah, where he founded the Salt Lake...
  
  , University of Utah, USA
• 1996: Dr. Barry Kopetz
  Barry Kopetz
  Barry E. Kopetz is an American music composer and conductor. Kopetz is currently the professor of conducting and Director of Bands at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to his appointment there, he was a professor of music at the University of Utah, where he founded the Salt Lake...
  
  , University of Utah, USA
• 1997: Ed Huckeby, Composer, USA
• 1998: Dr. Ben Hawkins, Transylvania University, Kentucky, USA
• 1999: Ms. Paula A Crider, The University of Texas, USA
• 2000: Dr. Rob McWilliams, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, USA
• 2001: Mr. Richard L Floyd, University of Texas, Austin, USA
• 2002: Mr. Robert W Smith, Composer, USA
• 2003: Mr. Ken Waterworth, Australia
• 2004: Mr. John M Laverty, Syracause University, USA
• 2005: Ms. Paula A Crider, The University of Texas, USA
• 2006: Mr. Thomas V Fraschillo, University of Southern Mississippi, USA
• 2007: Mr. Jeff King, USA
• 2008: Mr. Don Wilcox, West Virginia University (ret.), USA

Jazz Ensembles

• 1997: Mr. Gil Askey, USA
• 1998: Mr. Jeff Jervis, USA
• 1999: Mr. Doug Beach, Elmhurst College, Illinois, USA
• 2000: Mr. Daryl McKenzie, Australia
• 2001: Mr. Reg Walsh, Australia
• 2002: Mr. Patrick Crichton, WAAPA, Australia
• 2003: Mr. J Richard Dunscombe, Composer, USA
• 2004: Mr. Monte H Mumford, Australia
• 2005: Mr. Steve Newcomb, Australia
• 2006: Mr. Dean Sorenson, University of Minnesota, USA
• 2007: Mr. Victor Lopez, USA
• 2008: Mr. Brad Millard, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

String Ensembles

• 2000: Mr. Michael Loughlin, Australia
• 2001: Mr. Willem van der Vis, Australia
• 2002: Ms. Andrea Keeble, Australia
• 2003: Mr. Peter Bandy, Australia
• 2004: Ms. Christine Belshaw, Australia
• 2005: Mr. Mark Drummond, Australia
• 2006: Ms. Kim Waldock, Australia
• 2007: Ms. Loreta Fin, Australia
• 2008: Mr. Malcolm Yuen, Australia

External links

• Billy Hyde Festivals page