Following my weekend's activities in Laureana di Borrello, Southern Italy now in Linz , Austria, for a week at the European Brass Band Championships (at the Brucknerhaus,see info)
After years of planning it's wonderful to see this great Austrian city hosting such a prestige brass band event. Now that the air space is open again and flights are running it seems everyone will be able to make it as scheduled. With a sell-out venue and great music-making in prospect, it's a mouthwatering scenario for brass band enthusiasts. For the growing brass band world in Austria it's incredible to have Europe's finest bands on its doorstep.
For full details of all events look at the
EBBA website.
I will be performing with the European Youth Brass Band under the direction of Karl Geroldinger.
This band draws its players from all over Europe.
Here is the expected line-up:
Jeppe Lindberg Nielsen DENMARK Soprano
Andreas Aichinger AUSTRIA Cornet Principal
Eoin Tonner SCOTLAND Cornet Principal
Ida Larsen DENMARK Cornet
Rebekka Spinks ENGLAND Cornet
Gemma McKee Northern IRELAND Cornet
Ryan Parks Northern IRELAND Cornet
Phillippe Graf SWITZERLAND Cornet
Gwyn Owen WALES Cornet
Haley Edmond SCOTLAND Cornet
Paulius Zimaitis LITHUANIA Cornet
Ernesta Švelnytė LITHUANIA Cornet
Blandine Budelot FRANCE Cornet
Wendy van Veen NETHERLAND Flügelhorn
Sophie Budelot FRANCE Horn
Becky Adams ENGLAND Horn
Martina Balmer SWITZERLAND Horn
Lara Jones WALES Horn
Hanna Drage ENGLAND Horn solo
Jonti Smith ENGLAND Baritone
Bart van der Wielen NETHERLAND Baritone
Lilian Meurin FRANCE Euphonium
Marie Jennesjö SWEDEN Euphonium
Florian Lang SWITZERLAND Euphonium
Ben King ENGLAND Euphonium
Matthew William Horne WALES Trombone
Fransesco Pietralunga ITALY Trombone
Nicole Waddell SCOTLAND Trombone
Akelis Mindaugas LITHUANIA Trombone 2nd
Lloyd Pearce WALES Bass Trombone
Carl Hellman SWEDEN EbBass
Stephen Christopher Crooks Northern IRELAND EbBass
Gregory Meige SWITZERLAND BbBass
Knut Henriksen NORWAY BbBass
Brent Luyckx BELGIUM BbBass
Aušrine Raudoniutė LITHUANIA Percussion
Hanne Kolstad NORWAY Percussion
Kim Systad NORWAY Percussion
Gabriel Vogelauer AUSTRIA Percussion Timpani
The concert in which I'll be performing with them is on Wednesday 28th , at the Kirchdorf Music School, at the opening ceremony on friday and the Farewell Concert in the Brucknerhaus on sunday morning, and the main piece will be Thomas Dos' ‘Sir Eu', that was composed for SoundINNBrass and myself, and is on the CD MeadINNBrass. Rumour has it we'll also be featuring Zeibekikos (Wilby) and Serenade (Drigo).
Going on at the same time in Linz is the 5th European Solo Competition which has attracted some of the very best young soloists around Europe.
Soloists EBBC 2010
Family name /First name/ Instrument /Country
Bender Juliana Horn in Eb Switzerland
Blanchard Raphaël Horn in Eb Switzerland
Breen Audun Trombone Norway
Castillo Albert Cornet Germany
Chmelař Martin Trombone Czech republic
COQUOZ Jérémy Cornet sib Switzerland
Csernov Miklós Trombone Hungary
De Maeseneer Tim Tenor-horn Belgium
Distel Ivo Horn in Eb Switzerland
Eitzinger Roland Tuba Austria
Engl Michael Tuba Germany
Fan Qing Euphonium Switzerland
Fröschl Josef Tuba Austria
Gratz Rupert Flugelhorn Austria
Hongliang Gong Euphonium United Kingdom
Huber Stefan Tuba Austria
Kaindlstorfer Christoph Kornett Austria
Kajič David Bass Trombone Slovenia
Knight Ross Tuba Scotland
Krasiński Karol Timpani Poland
Leiss Denis Leopold F-Tuba Austria
Lomas Stephen Bass Trombone England
Manolova Irena Marimba Belgium
Martinussen Mari-Therese Euphonium Norway
Marzella Katrina Baritone Horn United Kingdom
Michel Renate Euphonium Deutschland
Müller Jan Euphonium Switzerland
Nieuwenhuis Stan Cornet Belgium
Patonai Ildikó Flugelhorn Hungary
Pfeifer Felix Tuba Italy
Pinton Lionel Bass Tuba Switzerland
Ponet Alexander Percussion Belgium
Rabensteiner Wolfgang Tuba Italien
Reigstad Helene O. Euphonium Norway
Reynaerts Emmanuel Trombone Belgium
Rousseau Sébastien Flugelhorn Belgium
Rowe Kristy Baritone United Kingdom
Rudaz Carole Cornet Switzerland
Schauer Christina Maria Tuba Austri
Schuttel Laurent Cornet Switzerland
Schwaninger Roland Euphonium Austria
Sedlmeier Martin Timpani Austria
Skarpmo Ann-Julie Euphonium Norway
Steiner Peter Tenor- Trombone Italy
Thomsen Michael Trombone Denmark
Ulugbek Makhmudov Marimbaphone Uzbekistan
Vaernes Runar Valheim Trombone Norway
Van Giel Kevin Euphonium Belgium
Van Looy Glenn Euphonium Belgium
Vandenhende Leen Baritone Belgium
Vanhoorne Harmen Cornet Belgium
Vasiulis Marius Motiejus Flugelhorn Lithuania
Verleden de Jeroen Tuba Belgium
Vermeiren Jef Bb Cornet Belgium
Wensink Gerd Euphonium Netherlands
Wey Benjamin Tuba Switzerland
Wieser Ludwig Eb- Cornet Ialty
Žáková Petra Posaune Czech republic
all competiting for prizes as follows :
1st prize € 3000
2nd prize € 2000
3rd price € 1000
Band prize € 500On behalf of European Brass Band Association and the Austrian Brass Band Association
The talent here is quite incredible, and it's especially good to see so many excellent euphonium and baritone players on this list!!!
I will be one of the judges for the final on Thursday evening.
On Friday morning is the opening ceremony for the competition, and I am delighted to also be involved with SoundINN Brass in this imaginative and culturally important curtain-raising event.
Then the battle of the bands can commence on Friday afternoon and continues on Saturday. It should be an extremely high level competition with some great new works in the own choice section. Also of real interest will be with how the bands cope with Thomas Dos' set test piece, Spriti. This is without doubt the hardest set test piece I have ever seen at the European, and perhaps one of the hardest test pieces ever. I think it's probably too difficult, and will stretch the bands rather mercilessly, but as always I'm sure the bands will rise to the challenge !!
It's also with great pride that I acknowledge Besson as the main sponsors, who once again show a commitment to the brass music world with their generous support.
Good luck to all competitors, bands, soloists, and adjudicators !