Welcome to Bur Oak Music

The Bur Oak Music program will be competing in the Kiwanis Music Festival of Greater Toronto in February.  Students will be performing in an adjudicated festival, receive feedback from an esteemed adjudicator, receive a festival rating, listen to other performing ensembles, and receive recordings for review upon return. 

The Bur Oak Concert Band and the Bur Oak Senior Wind Ensemble will be performing in the festival on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Students will be reporting to the music room in full concert uniform for the beginning of P1, we will be departing to the festival by bus at 8:30 a.m., perform in our competitive class between 9:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., will be departing the festival at 2:00 p.m., and should be arriving back to Bur Oak at approximately 2:30 p.m.

The Bur Oak Symphonic Band will be performing in the festival on Friday, February 20, 2026. Students will be reporting to the music room in full concert uniform for the beginning of P1, we will be departing to the festival by bus at 8:45 a.m., perform in our competitive class between 10 a.m. – 1:15 p.m., will be departing the festival at 1:45 p.m., and should be arriving back to Bur Oak at approximately 2:15 p.m.

Lastly, the Bur Oak Choir will be performing in the festival on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Students will be reporting to the music room in full concert uniform for the beginning of P1, we will be departing to the festival by bus at 8:45 a.m., perform in our competitive class between 10 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., will be departing the festival at 1:30 p.m., and should be arriving back to Bur Oak at approximately 2:00 p.m.

Permission forms and School Cash Online information will be made available beginning Second Semester.

The Bur Oak Music program is excited to participate in the Ontario Band Assocation's Provincial Band Festival again this year.  The Grade 9 Concert Band, Grade 10 Symphonic Band, and the Grade 11-12 Senior Wind Ensemble is returning to the festival in February and is looking forward to performing at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto.  

Classes are as follows:

• Tues, Feb 10 - Grade 10 Symphonic Band - 6:05 p.m.​

• Tues, Feb 10 - Senior Wind Ensemble - 7:35 p.m.

• Wed, Feb 11 - Grade 9 Concert Band - 5:45 p.m.

Permission forms have been distrubted in ensembles are are due by the end of January.

Bur Oak Music welcomes back to the program, none other than Colin Clarke.  Mr. Clarke will be working with our Senior Wind Ensemble and our Grade 10 Symphonic Band Tuesday, January 13 and Wednesday, January 14 during their regular Rep rehearsal times.  The Grade 9s will be having their workshop on Tuesday, February 3rd from 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

In addition to his role at The Royal Conservatory, Colin Clarke remains active as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and composer/arranger. His conducting credits include collaboration with world-renowned artists and ensembles including the New Symphony Orchestra of Sofia, Bulgaria, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets – the official fanfare ensemble for the President of the United States. 

Colin is best known for his work with the multi-award-winning Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra (TYWO), a group he founded as a high school student. For three decades this ensemble has earned a reputation nationwide as one of the leading performance ensembles of its kind in Canada and made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2006. 

Colin is Member of the Order of Canada, and maintains a commitment to working with young people and the community through music education.  He has conducted numerous bands, orchestras and choirs throughout Canada and the U.S. and was awarded the Ontario Band Association’s Lifetime Membership Award for his contribution to music education in Ontario.