Ingen kunde rubba de regerande mästarna Musikforeningen Nidarholm vid EM i blåsorkester som genomfördes i Oslo senaste helgen. De svenska deltagarna Uppsala Blåsarsymfoniker under ledning av förre musikinspektören Leif Karlsson fick en bra poäng som räckte till en sjätte plats.
PRESS RELEASE
Musikkforeningen Nidarholm claims its second consecutive European title as champion during the European Championship for Wind Orchestras 2024
Oslo – may 25th: This year’s European Championship for Wind Orchestras saw seven European wind orchestras competing – including the reigning champion from last year, Musikkforeningen Nidarholm. Whilst the competition was tight, last years winner managed to win again this year, on their 100th anniversary.
Nidarholm just barely secured their win above the French orchestra Orchestre d’Harmonie de la Région Centre. Finishing the podium is Strusshamn Musikkforening from Norway.
Prizes were also awarded for Best Section, Soloist and Conductor. Musikkforeningen Nidarholm won this year – as last year’s Best Section for its large percussion section. Best Conductor was awarded to the French conductor Philippe Ferro who conducted the Orchestre d’Harmonie de la Région Centre. Strusshamn Musikkforening won the Soloist Prize for his soprano saxophone.
The performance started at 10:00 in the grandiose Oslo Concert Hall and it was the Belgian Concertband Maasmechelen who started it all. Throughout the day, the seven European wind orchestras played at a very high level, but in the end only one wind orchestra came away with the victory. This year’s compulsory test piece, which all the bands had to play, was “Dirty Dancing” composed by Norwegian Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen. The rest of the performance was left to the bands themselves to choose.
Musikkforeningen Nidarholm will defend its title again in Stuttgart in 2026, the last weekend in November.
Complete results
- Musikkforeningen Nidarholm (Norway) – 98.00 points and Best Section (percussion)
- Orchestre d’Harmonie de la Région Centre (France) – 97.83 points and Best Conductor (Philipe Ferro)
- Strusshamn Musikkforening (Norway) – 96.33 points and Best Soloist (soprano saxophone)
- Concertband Maasmechelen (Belgium) – 93.33
- Rødovre Concert Band / The Danish Concert Band (Denmark) – 92.83
- Uppsala Blåsarsymfoniker (Sweden) – 91.00
- University of Latvia Wind Band (Latvia) – 88.00
About the winner
Musikkforeningen Nidarholm from Trondheim was founded in 1924.
The members are aged 19 to 67, and a fine blend of amateurs, music students and professional musicians. The band has made good musical progress during the last decade, and won the Norwegian National Championship in 2019, an achievement which was repeated in 2022.
The band’s vision is to always provide the best possible musical experience for both the band and the audience, and the repertoire chosen maintains a high musical level.
About ECWO
ECWO, the European Championship for Wind Orchestras is an international non-profit association, with the purpose of arranging the European Championship for Wind Orchestras. Our mission is to promote wind music and the values connected with wind music.
Through organising the championship, the association wishes to:
– Promote wind music and the values connected with wind music
– Improve and help sustain high levels within wind orchestras
– Stimulate and support international contacts and networking
– Promote and develop new repertoire for harmony orchestras
Photos – Mads Myr Munthe-Kaas / Norwegian Band Federation (Norges Musikkorps Forbund)