In 1979, a few like minded people got together around a piano and decided that Parry Sound was the perfect place to hold a classical music festival. Since then the Festival of the Sound has spearheaded the cultural development of Northern Ontario. From their humble roots in the high school gym, to the glittering performances now gracing the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts stage, the festival has always stood for one thing; excellence.
The Festival of the Sound has an education mandate, offering master classes for developing musicians, open rehearsals, workshops for local children and lectures by musicians and composers, all designed to improve the musical understanding and appreciation of audience members. Hundreds of Canadian and international musicians have performed at the Festival for over 35 seasons, and composers-in-residence such as Srul Irving Glick and Robert Rosen have written works on site during the Festival too.
