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MARIMBAFEST 2025: The 6th Solo and Ensemble Competition

Welcome to Marimbafest 2025, the 6th instalment of the Marimbafest festival and competition series with in-person/online participation, competition/masterclass only options, 12 faculty artists including Ivan Trevino in-person, $15,000+ prizes and more!

MARIMBAFEST 2025: The 6th Solo and Ensemble Competition
MARIMBAFEST 2025: The 6th Solo and Ensemble Competition

DATES AND LOCATION

12 July 2025, 11:00 am AWST – 19 July 2025, 7:30 pm AWST

WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), 2 Bradford St, Mount Lawley WA 6050

EVENT SUMMARY

Marimbafest 2025, our 6th instalment of Marimbafest, continues on from our 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 events in beautiful Perth (Boorloo) at one of the top universities for music in Australia, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).


EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT SALE: 30% OFF ALL TICKETS until 15th March 2025 - get in quick!


NEW FOR 2025 - CHOOSE YOUR PARTICIPATION STYLE

We listen to our participants' feedback every year, and one of the biggest requests was to have competition events separate from masterclasses and more practice time. So we've done just that - the week is now split into two halves, the Marimbafest Competition (July 12th to July 16th) and the Marimbafest masterclasses + concerts (July 17th to July 19th). You can choose to have a Full Participant ticket which gives you the whole week, or if you're only interested in part of the event or would like to have a more relaxed style of participation, try our new Competition Only or Masterclass Only ticket options!


NEW FOR 2025 - NEW FACULTY ARTIST LINEUP - IVAN TREVINO (Australian Exclusive)

And we have lots of new things in store! Firstly, Marimbafest 2025's faculty lineup has been refreshed yet again, with three new in-person artists joining our huge Marimbafest family of 11 world-class percussionists, including our headline artist for 2025 making his Australian debut exclusively with us, IVAN TREVINO!


2025 In-Person Faculty Artists: 

Ivan Trevino (USA), Dr. Matthew Lau (Hong Kong/USA), Kana Omori (Japan), Machi Ishida (Japan), Eyo Li, leader of The Pegasus Vanguard (Hong Kong), Dr. Rebecca Lloyd-Jones (Australia), Adam Tan (Australia), Tim White OAM (Australia), Dr. Paul Tanner (Australia), Mercedes Slack-Smith (Australia).


2025 Online Faculty Artists:

Master Christopher (USA)


Our faculty represent many disciplines and areas of expertise, with 10 hours of clinics and masterclasses covering marimba solo, ensemble skills, vibraphone, musician's health, composition, singing-songwriting, hip-hop composing, rudimental snare drum, career entrepreneurship and more. You'll get to work closely with all of the above artists in classes, competitions and even just having a chat between sessions!


IN-PERSON OR ONLINE PARTICIPATION AVAILABLE - WE'RE THE ONLY ONES WHO DO THIS!

Marimbafest was the first percussion event in the world to offer both in-person and online participation simultaneously (a 'hybrid event') back in 2021 - and in 2025, you can still participate either IN-PERSON OR ONLINE from the comfort of your own home, allowing anyone in the world to take part in the southern hemisphere's biggest festival of its kind. If you participate online but you're too busy during Marimbafest Week, you don't even have to be there at the live times - we record all of our masterclass content and concerts for you to enjoy later in your own time.


GET VALUABLE FEEDBACK ON YOUR PERFORMANCE - NO MATTER WHAT LEVEL YOU ARE

If you do want to join our awesome Competition with its $15,000+ prize pool (we gave away over 100 pairs of mallets this year and this year... we're giving away a 5 octave marimba + a drum set!), it's never been easier with:

  • Solo Category (OPEN CLASS - all ages):

    The highest level of competition performance. Recommended for advanced players and tertiary students at a university or college.

  • Solo Category (A CLASS - 18 or under):

    Our most popular category over the last 5 years. Recommended for intermediate players and secondary school students with experience.

  • Solo Category (B CLASS - 15 or under):

    This category is for younger beginner players looking forward to their first competition experience. Recommended for primary school and secondary school students who are newer to marimba.

  • Ensemble Category (all ages):

    For 2-10 percussionists of any age performing ensemble works with at least one marimba or vibraphone in them (see the Marimbafest 2025 page for full criteria). Highly recommended for school, university and professional chamber and marching ensembles.

Participants also receive a detailed feedback report from each panellist and one-on-one feedback with a member of their CLASS' Faculty Panel.


MEET NEW FRIENDS AND SEE NEW THINGS

And finally - you can meet heaps of new friends from around the world. We've had over 250 participants over the last 5 Marimbafests coming from all over Australia, Belgium, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, United States, and many of them have gone on to study in their dream destinations, get amazing jobs while still collaborating and performing with their Marimbafest friends worldwide.


We also have 3 Faculty Artist Showcase concerts featuring faculty, participants and staff team with countless world premieres of new percussion works, the now famous Marimbafest Shop containing exclusive percussion gear and sheet music sales for all your favourite mallet and instrument brands, and we provide lunches, afternoon teas and other social opportunities with your faculty artists and fellow participants.


So what are you waiting for? We can't wait to see you in July - register now and be part of a life-changing experience!

TICKET OPTIONS

  • FULL PARTICIPANT 2025

    ** EARLY BIRD PRICING UNTIL 15TH MARCH ** This ticket allows you to participate in everything (including competition, masterclasses and all activities of the week + some meals provided if in-person). Please ensure you choose the correct option (IN-PERSON choose IFP or ONLINE choose OFP). There is no distinction between solo and ensemble participants for tickets for 2025. This ticket price includes GST and a transaction fee of 4%.

    From A$250.00 to A$400.00
    • A$400.00
    • A$250.00
    • COMPETITION ONLY 2025

      ** EARLY BIRD PRICING UNTIL 15TH MARCH ** This ticket allows you to participate in only the COMPETITION half of the week (Saturday 12th July to Wednesday 16th July). No masterclasses are included in this ticket, but all concerts remain free for everyone to watch. Please ensure you choose the correct option (IN-PERSON choose ICO or ONLINE choose OCO). There is no distinction between solo and ensemble participants for tickets for 2025. This ticket price includes GST and a transaction fee of 4%.

      From A$200.00 to A$250.00
      • A$250.00
      • A$200.00
      • MASTERCLASS ONLY 2025

        ** EARLY BIRD PRICING UNTIL 15TH MARCH ** This ticket allows you to participate in only the MASTERCLASS and CONCERTS half of the week (Thursday 17th July to Saturday 19th July). No competition participation is included. Please ensure you choose the correct option (IN-PERSON choose IMO or ONLINE choose OMO). All Masterclass Only ticket holders may participate actively in classes alongside Full Participants. This ticket price includes GST and a transaction fee of 4%.

        From A$200.00 to A$250.00
        • A$250.00
        • A$200.00
        • COMP ADDITIONAL CATEGORY (CAC)

          ** EARLY BIRD PRICING UNTIL 15TH MARCH ** Add this to your order to participate in an ADDITIONAL CATEGORY in the COMPETITION half of the week (Saturday 12th July to Wednesday 16th July), e.g. if you are participating in the Solo Category and would like Ensemble Category as well. You must also already have an IFP, OFP, ICO or OCO ticket. The CAC ticket is the same price for in-person and online participants. This ticket price includes GST and a transaction fee of 4%.

          • A$150.00

          Total

          A$0.00

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          EARLY BIRD SALE! Ends 15 Mar 2025
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          Site design by Adam Tan. Photos by Jason Tan.

          Marimbafest Australia acknowledges that our activities take place on the land of the Whadjuk Noongar people, that sovereignty was never ceded and that the land always was, and always will be Aboriginal land.

          Marimbafest Australia pays our respects to all elders past, present and emerging.

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