The five-day long Groningen Brass Experience, which will feature the Dutch Open Brass Band Championships will take place from 7th-11th June.

The first event in 2022 was a great success, with the 2023 festival seeing various bands and ensembles of different music genres provide indoor and outdoor musical entertainment in the Dutch city.

Festival attractions

The Dutch Open Championship has attracted 20 bands in three sections, with competitors from Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

A new work by composer Ivo Kouwenhoven entitled, 'Skyline of Groningen' has been commissioned for the festival which will be performed by an ensemble of musicians from Hungarian Brass as well as the Berlin and Munich Symphony Orchestras.

Further attractions include the Noord Nederlands Orkest (NNO) alongside a huge 150 member youth band as well as acclaimed trumpeter Christoph Moschberger and the Austrian brass ensemble Da Blechhauf'n.

Christoph Moschberger will also present a workshop event, whilst three members of the adjudication of Jan Van der Roost, Tom Hutchinson, Simone Rebello and Gary Curtin, will join Christoph with clinics for composers, conductors and brass players as well as giving solo concert appearances on Sunday 12th June.

Competitive centrepiece

The competitive centrepiece will take place on Saturday 10th June when 20 bands compete in the three sections of the Dutch Open Championships.

The adjudicators are Jan Van der Roost, Simone Rebello, Tom Hutchinson, Russell Gray, Simon Van Hoecke and Gary Curtin. The event will be live-streamed by the CU Brass media platform.

The Dutch Open Championship has attracted 20 bands in three sections, with competitors from Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The event will be live-streamed by the CU Brass media platform4BR

Competing bands:
Championship Section:

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

First Division:

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 Schadlich)

Second Division:

Gereformeerde Brassband (Jan Werkman)
Brass Band Duren (Martin Schadlich)
Martini Brassband Groningen (Rieks van der Velde)
Brassband David (Wilbert Zwier)
Brassband Panta Rhei (Tim De Maeseneer)
Brass Band Schoonhoven B (Joop Nijholt)
De Bazuin Oenkerk B (Jaap Musschenga)