“A music festival is a good thing in itself. It is chiefly beneficial to the young who through the competitions have an opportunity of learning much about music that they could learn in no other way.  The fact that the festival is to be held annually will encourage interest in music generally as the competitors have to spend months in practicing for the contests.” 
These words were originally written for the first festival in 1930. 

The Kootenay Music Festival had its inception with representatives of the Trail Veteran's Orchestra and the Nelson Symphony Orchestra setting up a joint committee to plan for a Kootenay-wide festival in the spring of 1930. Founders realized that one of the most challenging problems was a suitable venue for the large number of participants and audiences anticipated. The decision to use both the Trinity Church and the Opera House proved very wise as, within a short time, nearly 1,000 competitors were registered in 187 classes. The very first Kootenay Music Festival was held on May 29 & 30, 1930 in Nelson’s venerable old Opera House. Shortly after, on July 17, 1930, the Nelson Musical Festival Association was incorporated under the ‘Societies Act” as the governing body of the annual Nelson Music Festival,
or "Festival of the Arts" as it is referred to today.

With financial and artistic success behind them, planning for a 1931 festival in Trail began. A Trail Music Festival Association was assembled, and the Kootenay Music Festival has alternated between Nelson and Trail almost every year since that date, with a wartime break from 1943-46, and from 1964-67 when, with help from the Canada Council, it was once again revived.
A new Kootenay tradition had been born.

The goals of the Nelson Musical Festival Association are to promote, arrange and carry on competitive music festivals, and to encourage any other activities having as their object the development of musical ability and the appreciation of good music and allied arts.

Nelson Musical Festival Association, a registered non-profit society,
is dedicated to providing an opportunity for young performers to achieve excellence.