Four Winds Spring Youth Music Festival ’26

The Spring Youth Music Festival is a full-day celebration of young talent, community, and the joy of music-making. Each November at Four Winds, more than 200 students from across the Bega Valley and beyond come together with their teachers, mentors, and professional musicians to share the stage. From orchestras and choirs to emerging soloists, the festival shines a spotlight on youth talent while embracing the richness of intergenerational music-making.

Curated by David Hewitt, Four Winds’ Create & Inspire Director, the Spring Youth Music Festival extends beyond the festival day to include year-round mentorship and opportunities for youth to learn instruments. Through workshops, tutoring, and in-school programs, Four Winds is dedicated to empowering young people to express their stories through sound.

A highlight of the ’26 festival will be the premiere of compositions written by local composers Geoffrey Badger and Nick Keeling for the Four Winds Community Orchestra (FWCO). Founded in 2022, the FWCO is an all-ages, all-abilities intergenerational ensemble with players aged seven to eighty. We will hear them play Body of Water and Songcrafters, pieces inspired by the role of water in regional life and the way music flows through community. The festival will offer a space for connection, celebration, and deep listening, with local talent and young musicians taking centre stage.