Seventeen year old euphonium player Glenn Van Looy of the Festival Brass Band and Brass Band Heist in Belgium recently won the coveted British Open Solo title, playing what was described as a 'fabulous performance' of 'Concerto Per Flicorno Basso' by Ponchielli.

Glenn not only won the £350 first prize, but will now compete at the Ern Keller International Championship in Australia next year.

Prestige help

Glen was helped of course by playing on his new Besson Prestige Euphonium — the choice of champions it seems!

Glenn was born on the 1991 in Bonheide in Belgium, and from the age of 6 he took lessons from his father Geert van Looy.

Glen was helped of course by playing on his new Besson Prestige Euphonium — the choice of champions it seems!Besson Musical Instruments

Talent

Very early his talent was discovered and at the age of 11 he received the chance to play in one of the top bands in Belgium, when he became 2nd euphonium with Festival Brass Band.

When he was 16 he moved to principal euphonium and today he also plays with Brass Band Heist where he has won several prizes. He currently studies in Antwerp where he is taught by Nick Ost.

Euphonium prizes

From an early age Glenn became a national champion, twice winning the World Music Contest(WMC) in Kerkrade. In 2005 he won the UFAM contest in Paris and the following year was a member of the European Youth Brass Band in Belfast.

This year he also received the prize as 'Best Euphonium Player’ at the Flemish Open Contest and at the SCABA contest in Folkestone.

He is really delighted with his win at the British Open Solo Championships. "I’ve never expected this," Glenn said after the results.

Praise

The critics were fulsome in their praise of his victory.

4Barsrest wrote: "Glenn van Looy was simply fantastic. A performance of extraordinary security, style and flexibility in the morning preliminary round rocketed him into the final where he improved even more, lifting his level of execution to a level of sustained excellence, all aided by a sense of confidence that just permeated from him. It was a thoroughly deserved victory."

Besson would like to offer their sincere congratulations, in particular Steven Mead, who worked with Glenn in Belgium just one week before he took the title in Dukinfield.

Quite a talent

"Glenn is quite a talent," Steven told 4BR. "I've first heard him play when he was 12 years of age and since that time I've kept a keen ear out for his progress.

"This is a massive step in his developing career. He has an innate musicality, a beautiful lyrical euphonium sound and an incredible technique, constantly being honed by countless hours of practice. Bravo."