Concert Contests

Every four years, the World Music Contest (WMC) is the stage on which wind bands can compete with the world’s best. This is wind music of the highest quality, performed by participants from all over the world. In fact, WMC has the most international field of participants in the world during the contests for wind bands.

WMC is the international stage for fanfare bands. The fanfare band is a music ensemble created by Adolphe Sax (1814 – 1894), consisting of brass and percussion and supplemented by saxophones. The majority of the participants traditionally come from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, but other countries also occasionally send entries.

Percussion ensembles will meet in Kerkrade for a special championship: the percussion contests. The World Music Contest is one of the reasons why this part has become so popular and has a high degree of freedom in terms of its program, with ensembles able to choose which compositions they want to use to showcase their musicality. The result? A resounding percussion spectacle where the ensembles almost literally pull out all the stops to win over the jury and the audience.

Originally from England, this orchestral form consists exclusively of brass instruments, supplemented by percussion. During WMC, participating bands compete for a prestigious top place in four Divisions and deliver impressive musical performances with the aim of becoming world champion.