The World Music Contest (WMC) in Kerkrade is the international stage for wind bands, fanfare orchestras and brass bands. The Concert Competitions of WMC serve as an important benchmark for the global wind music sector. New developments often emerge here, making these competitions a driving force behind innovation and artistic renewal.
Concert Competitions
Brass Bands
Friday 10, Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 July
The Brass Band Competitions at the World Music Contest (WMC) in Kerkrade are among the most competitive parts of the festival. This ensemble format, originally from England, consists exclusively of brass instruments supported by percussion.
Competing brass bands perform in five divisions for a place among the world’s elite, delivering outstanding musical performances on the international stage. In addition to a set test piece, the bands present a choice programme in which they showcase their technical skills and musical artistry.
In the Concert Division, the compulsory work is evaluated by a blind jury, and the order of performance is determined by a draw.
Percussion Ensembles
Friday 17, Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 July
Percussion ensembles from around the world gather in Kerkrade for a unique championship: the percussion competitions. Over the years, the World Music Contest (WMC) has developed this discipline into a leading international competition for percussion.
A key characteristic of the percussion competitions is the high degree of artistic freedom. Each ensemble creates its own programme and selects the works that best demonstrate its musicality, creativity and technical mastery. The result? A spectacular percussion showcase in which ensembles pull out all the stops to impress both jury and audience.
Fanfare Orchestras
Friday 24, Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 July
The World Music Contest is the international stage for fanfare orchestras. The fanfare orchestra is a musical ensemble developed in the 19th century by Adolphe Sax (1814–1894). It consists of brass instruments and percussion, complemented by saxophones.
Traditionally, fanfare orchestras from the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg form the largest group of participants, but ensembles from many other countries also regularly find their way to Kerkrade. As a result, the WMC fanfare competitions have become a major international event for this unique type of ensemble.
Wind Bands
Thursday 30 & Friday 31 July, Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 August
Every four years, the World Music Contest in Kerkrade becomes the stage where wind bands compete against the finest orchestras in the world. This is wind music at the highest level, performed by participants from every corner of the globe. The wind band competitions feature the most international field of participants of all WMC disciplines.
Creating a Valuable Concert Experience
The open and international character of the World Music Contest allows virtually every musical culture in the world to participate. The primary objective of the competitions is to create a meaningful artistic experience for both performers and listeners.
Therefore, every competition programme should be designed to provide a valuable concert experience for both jury and audience. Two key concepts are central to this goal: musical communication and the ability to convey emotion.
