The Aurora Centre for the Performing Arts at Burnside High School, on Greers Road in Christchurch's Burnside suburb, is home to the school's Music Department and to the Aurora Festival — an event dedicated to fostering instrumental musicians. While the centre sits within a school, its festival reach extends well past the gate, welcoming young players from across New Zealand who come together in Christchurch to share their music. The festival's purpose is straightforward and generous: to inspire a love of orchestral, symphonic band and big band music among young musicians, and to build a sense of community by bringing New Zealand musicians together to perform for one another. Rather than a competition in the usual sense, it is framed around participation, growth and recognition. Every participating ensemble benefits from the festival's development focus. Groups receive written feedback on their performances and take part in face-to-face workshops with experienced, professional practitioners — an opportunity to lift standards in a supportive setting. Achievement is recognised through certificates presented at Merit, Bronze, Silver or Gold level, and outstanding individual performers are acknowledged through a number of special awards. The festival also looks to what comes after school. It actively promotes further ensemble opportunities, including the Christchurch Youth Orchestra (CYO), NZSSSO, CYJO and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, along with internships and professional orchestral careers. The event is supported by official sponsor Music Works, and its programmes and photos are shared through the festival website and Facebook page.
On Greers Road in Christchurch, the Aurora Centre for the Performing Arts plays host to one of the country's most purposeful gatherings of young instrumentalists. Run by the Burnside High School Music Department together with the Aurora Centre, the Aurora Festival exists to do one thing above all: foster instrumental musicians. That mission shapes everything the festival does. It aims to inspire a love of orchestral, symphonic band and big band music among young players, and to nurture a sense of community among New Zealand musicians by bringing them together in Christchurch to perform to each other. Ensembles don't just play and leave — they listen, share and grow alongside peers who love the same music. ## Ensembles Take the Stage At the heart of the festival is ensemble playing. Orchestras, symphonic bands and big bands each get the chance to perform in a proper concert setting, with the Aurora Centre providing the stage. For many school musicians, it is a rare opportunity to present a full programme to an audience of fellow players, teachers and supporters, and to hear what other ensembles from around the country are doing. The emphasis is on community as much as performance. By gathering musicians in one place and encouraging them to perform to one another, the festival builds connections that reach well beyond a single concert. ## Feedback That Builds Musicians What sets the festival apart is its focus on development. Every participating ensemble receives written feedback on its performance, and musicians also take part in face-to-face workshops with experienced, professional practitioners. That combination — honest written notes plus hands-on coaching — is designed to raise standards of performance in a genuinely supportive environment. Recognition is built in from every angle. Participating ensembles are presented with certificates at Merit, Bronze, Silver or Gold level, so groups of all stages are acknowledged for their participation and achievement. Outstanding individual performers are recognised through a number of special awards, giving the festival's standout players a moment in the spotlight of their own. ## A Stepping Stone to Bigger Stages The festival deliberately looks past school music. One of its stated aims is to promote further ensemble opportunities beyond school — the Christchurch Youth Orchestra (CYO), NZSSSO, CYJO and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra among them — along with internships and professional orchestral careers. For a young player wondering where music might lead, the festival is a practical introduction to what comes next. Behind the event stands the Burnside High School Music Department, with official sponsor Music Works supporting the festival's work. The website also carries details of adjudicators, conditions of entry and applications, so teachers and ensemble leaders can plan their participation well in advance. ## Visiting the Aurora Centre The festival takes place at the Aurora Centre for the Performing Arts within Burnside High School at 151 Greers Rd, Burnside, Christchurch. The website's gallery offers a vivid sense of the occasion — full orchestras in flight, brass and cello sections mid-phrase, and the concentrated faces of young musicians giving their best. If you are an ensemble leader, start with the Conditions of Entry and Applications pages on the festival website. If you simply love live music, following the Aurora Festival's Facebook page is a good way to keep up with the event and see the next generation of New Zealand's orchestral, band and big band players as they find their feet.