The origin of the Festival movement in Canada is generally attributed to Governor General Earl Grey, a man perhaps more widely remembered for his patronage of sports, with the CFL Cup bearing his name. When Lord Grey announced his intention to promote music and the arts by calling for a Dominion-wide Festival, his challenge was taken up by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, George Bulyea. In May of 1908, the first competitive festival in North America took place in Edmonton, with 30 contestants and two adjudicators from Winnipeg. In 1917, Calgary and Lethbridge joined the Edmonton organization and music festivals were held triennially in the three locations.

In 1929, interested musicians from Calgary decided to establish their own festival and the first Calgary Music Festival was held in the Knox United Church in 1931. Some of the people involved in those early years were Noel Pearce, Jesse Walker, Annie Glen Broder, Clifford Higgin, Gladys Egbert and M. Schumiatcher.

Because of the growth of the Festival and the increasing financial demands, the Kiwanis Clubs of Calgary were approached in 1954 and asked to assume the sponsorship and administration of the Festival. The Festival came under the direction of a board of directors made up of representatives from the Kiwanis Clubs. It became known as the Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival in 1968 to better reflect the Kiwanis Clubs’ involvement and support. The board hired an executive director in 1975 to manage the Festival.

The Festival offers Calgary’s amateur musicians and speech performers and opportunity to compete, perform and learn, and allows all Calgarians the chance to enjoy and appreciate their talents. With the exception of the three evening concerts, all sessions are free. The Festival maintains close relationships with various music organizations, post-secondary institutions, school boards, businesses and service organizations who work together to ensure the Festival’s success year after year.

The Festival recognizes the importance of ongoing training to advance one’s skills in the performing arts. Under this premise, a Scholarship Trust Fund was created in 1976. The fund continues to provide educational scholarships for competitors year after year. Privately-funded scholarships, including the prestigious Rose Bowl Scholarship, are another key element in the Festival’s dedication to advancing performers’ pursuit of excellence.