The Jena Brass Band Centre has spoken of its pride in being able to support yet another of its talented players in representing Germany as part of the European Youth Brass Band in Stavanger this year.

Fifth player

Cornetist José Sousa is the fifth player from the organisation to be part of the band since 2018 — further endorsing a measure of the success of its educational approach and commitment to brass band youth development.

José follows in the footsteps of Isabel Voigt (cornet, 2018), Márk Sirok (cornet, 2019), and the 2022 duo of Anabel Voigt (tenor horn) and Johannes Stoll (cornet) — all products of the Jena education network that includes the KLANGwelt Music School, the Youth Brass Band BlechKLANG, and Brass Band BlechKLANG itself.

As a result, Jena not only sustains a vibrant local brass band scene but also contributes meaningfully to the European brass band movementArtistic Director, Alexander Richter

Delighted

A proud Artistic Director, Alexander Richter told 4BR: "We are of course delighted that José will enjoy such an unique musical experience, and we hope there will be many more players from our organisation who will follow in his footsteps in the years to come."

He added: "The consistent presence of Jena-trained musicians representing Germany in the European Youth Band is no coincidence. It reflects a clear pedagogical vision, high-level artistic mentorship, and an environment that actively cultivates musical excellence.

As a result, Jena not only sustains a vibrant local brass band scene but also contributes meaningfully to the European brass band movement."