Full House for 2023 Dutch Open

There will be a full day of top class brass band contesting to enjoy in Groningen in June as 20 bands from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland battle for the Dutch Open honours.

The contest has grown in popularity since moving to Groningen

Sunday, 01 January 2023

2023 will see a 'full house' entry of competing bands at the Dutch Open Championships.

Organisers have confirmed that 20 bands will compete in three sections at the event to be held at the De Oosterpoort Concert Hall in Groningen on Saturday 10th June.

4BR was informed that 25 bands had registered to compete, but due to time constraints 20 bands will now take part to accommodate the contest day schedule.

Increase

A spokesperson told 4BR: "In recent years interest in the event has increased enormously and especially since moving to Groningen in 2022.

The city offers so much to visitors, so we hope people take the time to enjoy the great music making and what is on offer. We are delighted that this year we will welcome bands from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland."

The contest will form part of a larger Groningen Brass Experience music festival which will be held from Thursday 8th until Sunday 11th June.

Cross border challenges

The defending Championship Section champion is local favourite Brass Band Groningen, who will be faced with a strong line-up of rivals — including last year's podium finishers De Bazuin Oenkerk and Soli Brass, as well as 2022 Dutch National Champion Brass Band Schoonhoven and Swiss visitors La Concordia Vetroz.

Both 2022 First Section and Second Section winners Mercator Brass Band and Martini Brass Band also return to defend their titles.

More information can be found at: www.groningenbrass.com

Championship Section:

Provinciale Brassband Groningen (Richard Visser)
La Concordia Vetroz (Bertrand Moren)
Soli Brass (Anne van den Berg)
Brass Band Schoonhoven (Erik Janssen)
De Bazuin Oenkerk (Jaap Musschenga)
Brassband De Waldsang (Rieks van der Velde)
Brassband Willebroek (Frans Violet)

First Section:

Cologne Concert Brass (Heinrich Schmidt)
Chr. Brassband Pro Rege (Anne van den Berg)
Mercator Brassband (Tim De Maeseneer)
Brass Band Kirchenmusik Fluhli (Armin Renggli)
Gloria Dei (Gerk Huisma)
Brassband Kunst naar Kracht (Pieter Koster)
YBB NRW, North Rhine Westphalia (Martin SchÃ¤dlich)

Second Section:

Gereformeerde Brassband Groningen (Jan Werkman)
Brass Band Duren (Martin SchÃ¤dlich)
Martini Brassband Groningen (Rieks van der Velde)
Brassband David (Wilbert Zwier)
Brassband Panta Rhei (Tim De Maeseneer)
Brass Band Schoonhoven (Joop Nijholt)

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