The European Brass Band Association has announced the appointment of a new General Secretary, following Carsten Hering Nielsen’s decision to step down from after two years in the role.

Expertise

The new General Secretary is Kor Niehof (above) from the Netherlands, who has gained widespread brass band knowledge and expertise through his 15 year tenure as Chairman of Provinciale Brass Band Groningen, which ended in 2013.

The project engineer at Shell currently plays BBb tuba with Brass Band de Wâldsang, and will take over the role from 1st July.

Excited

Kor told 4BR: "I’m very excited about becoming EBBA General Secretary. I know there is always a lot of work to do behind the scenes but I’m ready for the challenge, especially as we continue our planning for the EBBC in Freiburg in 2015."

EBBA President Ulf Rosenberg told 4BR: "We thank Carsten for all his hard work in the busy post and acknowledge the significant contribution he has made to EBBA and the entire European brass band movement. We wish him all the best for the future."

Meanwhile, Carsten added: “I’m very sorry to be leaving the EBBA Executive Committee, but my health situation has made it impossible for me to carry out the huge amount of work required while carrying the burden of responsibility that this important position demands.”

He has been Assistant Contest Controller at the European Championships for the last few years and we have been impressed by his professionalism and organisational abilitiesUlf Rosenberg

Professionalism

Ulf Rosenberg added: "The EBBA Executive Committee and country delegates have accepted the proposal that Kor Niehof from the Netherlands will take over as General Secretary.

He has been Assistant Contest Controller at the European Championships for the last few years and we have been impressed by his professionalism and organisational abilities, and we are sure that he will be a great addition to the EBBA team."