Projects

Steven Mead : Johann Mösenbichler : Charlotte Pistor

Cheju Brassfestival : Midwest Chicago

SUMMERBANDFESTIVAL in JEJU / SOUTHKOREA

A Travel Tournal (by Hubert Gurtner):

13 hours in the narrow seats of the airplane, waiting at airports, bus tranfers – a long journey finally took us to Jeju via Frankfurt and Seoul. Great was our enthusiasm on immersing in  the sweltering summer heat of the “Green Island”. A modern Asian town amidst wonderful landscape with rich fishery, agriculture, industry, and above all flourishing tourism, was awaiting us.
For many years this town has been host to one of the most important music festivals for ensembles and windbands in Asia. For one week groups from all over the world met for concerts, competitions and marching shows on stages all over the island.

Several thousand spectators were present at the opening of the festival at the “Seaside  Open Air Arena” .  SoundINNBrass opened the concert, then international soloists presented themselves with the Jeju Wind Orchestra, and finally fireworks accompanied  the “Carmina Burana” to a rather pompous grand finale.
Modern concert halls were an inviting stage to present typical wind music in all its various forms. Richard Wagner, Austrian music for brass ensembles and the typical modern brass sound, often together with the Euphonium soloist Steven Meads were performed. The audience were particularly impressed by the Mozart Arias, which, of course, were part of the programm in this jubilee year.
Popular melodies from operettas and musicals at the Open Air concert at the waterfalls enticed standing ovations, although it had been quite a challenge to compete with the noises made by the giant crickets.
Once again, music united the nations all over the globe in playing together at the highest level and friendly meetings across borders and language barriers.

Spanish Brass Luur Metalls, Georg Solti Brass (Hungary), Jaques Mauger (opera Paris), Max Sommerhalder (Switzerland), Jeff Funderburgh (USA), Chestnut Brass (USA) and a variety of other European and Asian ensembles from Japan, Korea and neighbouring states.

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