EBBA Announces 2025 Set Works
A joint announcement has been made by the European Brass Band Association (EBBA) and the national organising hosts, Norges Musikkorps Forbund (NMF) that four leading Norwegian composers will write the set-works for the 2025 European Brass Band Championships.
The Championship Section set-work will be written by Fredrick Schjelderup. The 33-year-old was awarded his degree in composition from the prestigious Grieg Academy in Bergen, with his work, 'Transitions in Energy' reflecting on one of the most important ambitions facing the Norwegian oil industry, whose 'capital' is based in Stavanger. NMF was granted 165,000 NOK from the Norwegian Composers Foundation (Det norske komponistfond) to support the writing of the piece.
The yet unnamed Challenge Section work will by written by Ingebjørg Vilhelmsen, another rising star of the Norwegian banding movement. The award-winning composer gained a master's degree in musicology from the University of Oslo, as well as enjoying academic links to the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, and Goldsmiths, University of London. Her works have been commissioned for several large brass band events, including the 2023 Norwegian National Championships as well as for international competitions.
The set-work for the Premier Section of the European Youth Championships will be written by Kjetil Djønne. The 27-year-old was awarded a master's degree in conducting from Stavanger University, as well as a bachelor's degree in composition from the Grieg Academy in Bergen. In 2021 he won a 'break through' award within classical/modern music in Norway and is now one of the most sought-after young composers in the banding world. His major work, 'Catharsis' was used as an own-choice selection at the Swedish National and European Championships in 2022 and 2023.
One of Norway's most notable composers for the brass band medium, Torstein Aagaard Nilsen will write the work for the Development Section. 'Seid' (1996) and 'Aubade - Dawn Songs of the Fabulous Birds' (20023) have been used as set-works for the Championship Section, whilst his works have been performed numerous times as both set-pieces and own-choice selections at the Norwegian National Championships.
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