Pilbara Music Festival Inc.
An adjudicated eisteddfod for the Pilbara
2026 Entries are now closed
Register for one of our workshops now!
From Founders to Future Stars
From our founders to today's performers, we proudly celebrate 50 years of talent, tradition, and friendship. The countdown is on to our Golden Jubilee Eisteddfod, from 8th to 13th September. Join us as we honour our history and embrace the excitement of the next generation taking the stage.
Introducing our 2026 Adjudicator
Faith Maydwell
Faith Maydwell is a West Australian concert pianist, accompanist, pedagogue, and adjudicator. Her performance career encompasses solo recitals, ABC broadcasts, and appearances as both a soloist and orchestral pianist with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO). She has lectured at the University of Western Australia and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), as well as examined for the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB). Faith has been a regular presenter at the European Piano Teachers’ Association Conference since 2006. Her primary pedagogical interests include sight-reading, early childhood piano education (ages 4+), and fostering musical independence in students. She is also the author of Sight Reading Skills: A Pianist’s Guide for Learning
to Read Music Accurately and Expressively and Piano Teaching: A Guide for Nurturing Musical Independence. From 2014 to 2023, Faith served as the pianist and artistic director of the chamber ensemble Magellan, presenting quarterly concerts across Perth and the South West. Most recently, she performed a 13-week autumn concert series in Rockingham, with each performance highlighting a specific genre, such as the Waltz, Nocturne, Capriccio, and Prelude.
50th Anniversary Festival Week Workshops
Learn • Explore • Create • Perform
Make the most of Festival Week with a wonderful program of workshops designed to inspire musicians and performers of all ages.
Whether you're discovering an instrument for the first time, developing your musical skills or exploring the world of acting and performance there is something for everyone.
2026 Festival Week Workshops
Celebrating 50 Years of Music in the Pilbara
Honouring our Past, Inspiring our Future
To celebrate 50 wonderful years of the Pilbara Music Festival the Festival Committee, together with our generous sponsors, are delighted to offer a series of FREE workshops to our local community.
The Magical Sounds of the Violin
with Mehdi Aghamohammadi
Discover the wonderful sounds and special effects of the violin through musical examples, hands-on activities and a fun beginner's performance experience
50 minutes | Open to all ages | No experience or violins required
Saturday 12th September 2026. Gratwick Hall, Port Hedland
Violin Workshop
with Mehdi Aghamohammadi
A practical workshop for Elementary and Intermediate violin students focusing on fundamentals, beautiful tone, intonation and good practice habits, with plenty of opportunity for questions.
1 hour | All ages | Elementary & Intermediate | Bring your violin
Saturday 12th September 2026. Gratwick Hall, Port Hedland
Sight Reading Music - Fluently & Expressively
with Faith Maydwell
Build confidence and fluency in sight reading with practical tips and strategies that can be applied to everyday music making.
50 minutes | School age & above | All levels
Saturday 12th September 2026. Gratwick Hall, Port Hedland
Performing Arts Workshops
with Myles Pollard
Join Australian actor Myles Pollard for an exciting performing arts workshop designed to build confidence and imagination whilst exploring performance, creativity and the skills involved in bringing characters and stories to life.
Myles is well known for his roles in McLeod's Daughters and Home and Away. His connection to the Pilbara runs deep - having lived in Port Hedland and performed at the Pilbara Music Festival as a young pianist and recipient of the Deborah Munjak Award in 1986.
Workshops catering from 8years to adult
Saturday 12th September 2026. St Cecilia's Primary School Hall
Workshops may also be available on Thursday 10th & Friday 11th September
In the Garden - Flower, Tree & Bird Music
Piano Recital & Conversation with Faith Maydwell
Enjoy a selection of short piano works inspired by flowers trees and birds, with stories and insights into the music, followed by an opportunity for questions about piano playing and music making.
50 minutes | School age & above | Parents welcome
Saturday 12th September 2026. Gratwick Hall, Port Hedland
2026 Festival Week Workshops
Our Workshop Facilitators
Faith Maydwell
Faith Maydwell is a West Australian concert pianist, accompanist, pedagogue, and adjudicator. Her performance career encompasses solo recitals, ABC broadcasts, and appearances as both a soloist and orchestral pianist with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO). She has lectured at the University of Western Australia and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), as well as examined for the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB).
Faith has been a regular presenter at the European Piano Teachers’ Association Conference since 2006. Her primary pedagogical interests include sight-reading, early childhood piano education (ages 4+), and fostering musical independence in students. She is also the author of Sight Reading Skills: A Pianist’s Guide for Learning to Read Music Accurately and Expressively and Piano Teaching: A Guide for Nurturing Musical Independence.
From 2014 to 2023, Faith served as the pianist and artistic director of the chamber ensemble Magellan, presenting quarterly concerts across Perth and the South West. Most recently, she performed a 13-week autumn concert series in Rockingham, with each performance highlighting a specific genre, such as the Waltz, Nocturne, Capriccio, and Prelude.
Mehdi Aghamohammadi
Mehdi Aghamohammadi is a dedicated classical violinist and teacher. His publications have contributed to scholarly journals such as the Piano Journal: European Piano Teachers’ Association (EPTA).
He has a Master of Arts in English Literature and synthesises linguistic and literary insights with the seminal teaching traditions of legendary violin pedagogues, most notably Ivan Galamian, to offer his students a unique standard of violin teaching.
Mehdi is looking forward to sharing technical and musical beauties of this wonderful instrument with students in two workshops of the 50th Pilbara Eisteddfod/Festival.
Myles Pollard
Myles Pollard is an Australian actor best known for his roles in McLeod's Daughters and Home and Away. Before pursuing his acting career, Myles lived in Port Hedland and was an active participant in the Pilbara Music Festival, where he was awarded the Deborah Munjak Perpetual Trophy for Most Promising Pianist Aged 12-17 in 1986.
His connection with the Pilbara and passion for performance makes his return to this milestone 50th anniversary Festival a special opportunity for aspiring young performers
2026 Pilbara Music Festival Eisteddfod
50th Anniversary
8th to 13th September 2026
Gratwick Hall, Town of Port Hedland Civic Centre
McGregor Street, Port Hedland WA
50 Years of Music & Community
Since 1977, the Pilbara Music Festival has created a welcoming space where performers of all ages can shine, learn, and be celebrated. Through thoughtful adjudication and a supportive atmosphere, we encourage artistic excellence while fostering joy, resilience and connection.
Join us in 2026 as we honour 50 years of music, memories and community spirit.
An Eisteddfod of Music in the Pilbara
The Pilbara Music Festival Eisteddfod is a vibrant celebration of music, performance, and creativity in our region. We proudly provide a welcoming and supportive environment where performers of all ages and experience levels can share their talents, grow in confidence, and be inspired.
Whether you sing, play an instrument, perform in musical theatre, or recite a speech or drama piece, our festival is open to you. We believe that performance builds skill, resilience, and community - and we are passionate about nurturing artistic expression across the Pilbara.
Our eisteddfod features a wide range of categories including piano, strings, vocal, brass, woodwind, musical theatre, choral, bands and speech & drama.
From first-time performers to seasoned musicians, we encourage participation at every level. Our adjudicators provide valuable feedback to support learning and artistic development.
Our Gallery
2026 Pilbara Music Festival
Coming in September 2026
2025 Pilbara Music Festival
Some highlights from the Finale Concert
2024 PILBARA MUSIC FESTIVAL
A snapshot from 2024
Contact Us
Thank You to Our Sponsors
The 2026 50th Anniversary Pilbara Music Festival is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors. Your commitment helps us create an inclusive and encouraging platform for performers of all ages to grow, connect, and share their talent with our community.
Proudly supported by:
