The Harmonie Intermédiaire de la Cité-des-Jeunes, directed by Christian Scraire, was awarded the GOLD mention at the prestigious MusicFest Canada competition, held in Toronto from May 13 to 18. As for the young members of the Harmonie Brind'Amour, they won the Silver mention.

Thanks to their hard work and commitment, they rose to the challenge of performing in a church, and delivered a performance whose quality was praised by festival organizers. The musicians also had the chance to attend a concert at Meridian Hall, given by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Evan Mitchell.

In 2023, the Harmonie Intermédiaire de la Cité-des-Jeunes earned its pass to MusicFest Canada by winning the OR+ and Atelier+ awards at the provincial edition of the competition, MusicFest Québec.

For the 2024 edition, some 7,000 young musicians from across Canada were welcomed to Toronto by the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music in the Edward Johnson Building.

Participation in MusicFest Canada, as in MusicFest Québec, consists of a performance of three varied pieces, followed by a workshop with one of the three judges. Among the repertoire of works performed, one must have been composed by a Canadian composer.

In addition, at the jury's request, the national version of the competition may include a sight-reading, i.e. the playing of a piece that has never been performed before, at the very moment of the performance.

Following its performance, the ensemble may be awarded one of four possible distinctions;

MÉRITE is awarded for an average performance.

BRONZE is awarded for a better-than-average performance.

The SILVER mention is given when a performance well beyond̀ the performance standards for its level.

Finally, bands distinguishing themselves for excellence in all aspects of their performance are awarded the GOLD mention.

As usual, MusicFest is an opportunity for them to take an interest in instruments and various items presented by exhibitors. They can also attend performances by their peers and the greats in the field, as the Cité-des-Jeunes musicians were able to do the day before their performance.

As for the Harmonie Brind'Amour from Brind'Amour elementary school, their performance at MusicFest Canada impressed the jury, who awarded the Vaudreuil-Dorion school a Silver mention.