CONCERTO FESTIVAL
Providing students the opportunity to take center stage and perform a solo with orchestra!
The Concerto Festival is Tacoma Music Collaborative’s (TMC) flagship event. Each spring, we bring together student musicians for a concert series featuring the finest pedagogical repertoire and full concerto movements. Each student rehearses and performs with an orchestra comprised of professional and collegiate musicians. The atmosphere is designed to support each student and ensure they have an excellent experience performing their work in front of family, colleagues, and community members in the audience.
Our annual festivals include over 50 student performers from Tacoma, Pierce County, and the broader Puget Sound region.
The 2027 Concerto Festivals are scheduled for March (string orchestra) and June (symphonic orchestra). Registration opens October 17, 2026. Space is limited- early registration helps ensure you secure your spot to perform. Information about registration and other student information is available using the button below.
What is a concerto?
“Concertos” are musical compositions featuring one or more soloists with an accompanying orchestra. Many concertos have a standard format: one opening movement, one slower middle movement, and one fast final movement.
Typically, TMC students and their teachers pick one movement of a concerto to perform. Even just one movement can range from a few minutes to 15+ minutes in length!
Why learn and perform a concerto?
According to Music House Chicago, some of the benefits of performing with accompaniment (such as performing a concerto) includes learning ensemble skills such as maintaining a steady tempo, listening to others, and choosing when to lead and when to follow.
These are skills difficult to gain in other settings, even for instrumentalists in school or community ensembles. It often takes professional guidance and practice to feel confident playing with others.
Here at TMC, we provide noncompetitive opportunities to gain that practice that is so vital for student success. Our students gain a level of ownership and confidence in their performance skills they can take with them beyond the stage.
How do I choose what to play?
TMC offers a repertoire list consisting of pieces our teacher community has found helpful, relevant, or useful for student development, that we are confident our ensemble can perform. Teachers and students are welcome to review our list for pieces they may wish to perform with TMC’s ensemble. Please refer to our student guidelines page for more information about choosing repertoire to perform.
Support the Festival
Volunteer
When you volunteer with TMC, you are directly supporting students and artists. Volunteers often are distributing programs, directing patrons, and more! This is an excellent option for high school and college students who need volunteer hours and want to help behind the desk.
Donate
A donation to our general fund allows TMC to put your dollars to work making noncompetitive performance an option for music students of all ages and skill levels here in the Puget Sound region. We are a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax deductible.
Sponsor
Become either a festival, season, or sustaining/lead sponsor and support opportunities for students. Each tier has a myriad of benefits, including advertisements in the program, logo placement, verbal recognition, and more!