BANDS

EUROPEAN YOUTH BRASS BAND CONTEST

PREMIER SECTION

BML Talents
Patrick Ottiger – Switzerland

Catch Basin Brass Band
Andreas Lackner – Austria

Jugend Brass Band Blechklang
Patricio Cosentino – Germany

Lions Youth Brass Band
Nigel Birch – England

Youth Brass 2000*
Chris Jeans – England

*defending champion

DEVELOPMENT SECTION

Brass Band Aukštyn
Piet Visser – Lithuania

Elland Silver Youth Band
Samantha Harrison – England

Smørås Skolemusik
Magnus Brandseth – Norway

Wardle Academy Youth Band*, Lee Rigg – England

*defending champion

The European Brass Band Association is pleased to announce the line up of bands for the 42nd European Brass Band Championship, which will be held at the banks of Lake Genèva in the impressive Stravinski Auditorium in Montreux, Switzerland.

A total of 18 bands will take to the stage in Montreux for what promises to be fantastic and also historic contest, with two bands from last year’s Challenge Section promoted to the Championship Section that will now comprise 13 bands. It will be the first time since their first appearance in 2015 that the Italian Brass Band will compete against the very best bands in the world in the Championship Section. The Italian champions will be
joined by Göta Brass Band from Sweden following an excellent performance in the Challenge Section last year. They will be joining Europe’s other champion bands.

Reigning champion Valaisia Brass Band and Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern will both appear as the home bands representing Switzerland. Given a line up that also includes Cory Band, Brass Band Willebroek, Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag, Paris Brass Band, Brighouse & Rastrick, 3BA, Concord Brass Band, Provinciale Brass Band Groningen and Brass Band Oberösterreich, it promises to be an exciting, high quality EBBC.

EBBA is delighted to announce that for the first time in the history of the EBBC, we will be welcoming a band from Spain to the ‘Europeans’. Malaga Brass Band and their conductor Víctor Eloy López Cerezo will be making the trip to Montreux to compete against four other bands in the Challenge Section.

General Secretary Kor Niehof commented: “I’ve been impressed by the willingness and enthusiasm of the Malaga Brass Band to make a success of their debut at the European. It’s an honor to work with them towards the contest in Montreux’. The five band competing in the Challenge Section are: 1st Old Boys Band from Northern Ireland, the German Brass Band Regensburg, Annan Town Band from Scotland, Brass LT from Lithunia and the Malaga Brass Band.

EBBA President, Ulf Rosenberg adds: “It’s great to see the brass band movement in Europe still developing, with bands making their debuts in the Championship Section and with the participation of a band from Spain in the Challenge Section. We are looking forward to all the performances, set tests and own-choice pieces, at the 42nd EBBC in Montreux.”

Since it was established in 2014 at Perth, Scotland, the European Youth Brass Band Contest became an established part of the European Brass Band Championships. This year’s edition will see nine participating at Sunday 28 April in Montreux. Defending
champion in the Development Section, Wardle Academy Youth Band (England), will compete against Brass Band Aukstyn (Lithuania), Smørås Skolemusikk (Norway) and
Elland Silver Youth Band (England). Youth Brass 2000 (England) will defend their Premier Section title against BML-talents (Switzerland), Catch Basin Brass Band
(Austria), Lions Youth Brass Band (England) and JBB Blechklang (Germany).