Full band line-up & adjudicators for Europeans

The European Brass Band Association (EBBA) is pleased to announce the band line-up and adjudicators for the European Brass Band Championships in association with World of Brass, the European Composers’ Competition and the European Youth Brass Band Contest, to be held as part of the European Brass Band Festival in Birmingham, England from 28 April to 1 May 2022.

The contest in Birmingham Symphony Hall will see 11 bands in the Championship Section, four in the Challenge Section and eight the Youth Contest.

EBBA President, Ulf Rosenberg, said: “It’s impressive to see the brass band movement in Europe recovering after two years of pandemic and so many bands making the effort to be present in one of the finest concert halls in Europe for the European championships. We are proud to bring back EBBC to England, the brass band ‘homeland’, in what promises to be a highly attractive line-up with brilliant bands judged by extremely competent jury teams.”

Kenny Crookston, CEO of Brass Bands England, the organiser of this year’s event, added: “This is going to be a wonderful Festival and we are delighted to have such a great line-up of bands taking part. We have terrific programme of events lined up over the four days in Birmingham and there really is something for every lover of brass music, so please don’t miss out on what looks like one of the most exciting band events ever held in this country.”

Paul Hindmarsh, Chair of the EBBA Music Commission, commented: “The EBBA Music Commission is delighted to have been able to secure the services of some of the foremost composers, conductors, performers and educators in the international band community for EBBC. Their gifts and skills are widely admired and they bring with them many years of experience at the top of the banding world and beyond.”

The Adjudicators

The Championship Section set test-piece and Challenge Section will be judged by three highly respected conductors and adjudicators: Arvid Anthun (Norway), Garry Cutt (England) and Erik Janssen (Netherlands). The jury for the Own-Choice contest is composer and conductor Jan de Haan (Netherlands), leading Swiss band conductor, teacher and composer Christopher Jeanbourquin, and international baritone soloist and clinician Katrina Marzella-Wheeler (Scotland). 

Jan de Haan will also be joining the team of distinguished composers who will be judging the European Composer Competition (29 April, Birmingham Town Hall). His fellow judges, both from England, are Kenneth Hesketh and Philip Wilby. The European Youth Brass Band Contests (20 April, Symphony Hall) will see Adam Cooke (Northern Ireland) and Grete W. Tonheim (Norway) judging the bands in both the Premier and Development competitions.

Tickets for all European Brass Band Festival events can be purchased via the B:music website and further information about the event can be found on the Brass Bands England mini-site.

Band line up
 

Following our earlier announcement of the Championship Section bands, bands in the Challenge Section and Youth Competition have now also been released. The draw for the Challenge Section will take place on Friday 29 April.

Championship Section
Band	Conductor	Country
3BA Concert Band	Corsin Tuor	Germany
Brass Band Oberösterreich	Günther Reisegger	Austria
Brass Band Schoonhoven	Paul Holland	Netherlands
Cory Band*	Philip Harper	Wales
Foden's Band	Russell Gray	England
Göta Brass Band	Michael Thomsen	Sweden
Hauts-de-France Brass Band	Luc Vertommen	France
Stavanger Brass Band	Allan Withington	Norway
the cooperation band	Michael Fowles	Scotland
Tredegar Band	Ian Porthouse	Wales
Valaisia Brass Band	Arsène Duc	Switzerland
*Defending champion
Challenge Section
Band	Conductor	Country
Brass Band Regensburg*	Dave Lea	Germany
Brassband Überetsch	Johann Finatzer	Italy
Downshire Brass	Michael Alcorn	Northern Ireland
Hebden Bridge Band * Defending champion	Christopher Binns	England
European Youth Brass Band Competition   Youth Development Section                                       Name                                               Conductor                                   Country Brass Band Aukštyn                          Bjørn Breistein/Remigijus Vilys Lithuania Elland Silver Youth Brass Band Samantha Harrison                            England National Youth Brass Band of Scotland                                           Richard Evans & John Boax        Scotland Smørås Skolemusikk                      Magnus Brandseth                       Norway South Wales Youth Band                Carol Flanary-Davies                    Wales Wardle Academy Youth Band*       Lee Rigg                                        England * Defending champion                               Youth Premier Section                                                 Name                                               Conductor                                   Country Catch Basin Brass Band*                Andreas Lackner                          Austria Youth Brass 2000                            Chris Jeans                                   England

* Defending champion