Yet more European National Championship titles will be up for grabs over the coming weekends with major events being held in Switzerland and Belgium.

However, this weekend (Saturday 16th November) the 3rd Italian National Championships take place at the Teatro Comunale in Vipiteno in northern Italy.

Inspired

The Championships were last held in Bolzano in 2017 and have been inspired by Lito Fontana, the remarkable President of the Italian Brass Band Association (Associazione Italiana Brass Band), whose indefatigable spirit has now brought the event north to the beautiful south Tyrol region for the first time.

The event has attracted support from a number of different sources and organisations with letters of congratulations coming from the Provincial President and City Burgermister.

Five bands

Five bands will take part in two different sections, with the 1A Categoria (Championship Section) seeing the defending champion the Italian Brass Band from Rome hoping to make it three wins in a row against rivals Brass Band Wipptal from Vipiteno and Brass Band Uberetsch from Appianon.

The three bands will perform the set-work, 'Toccata e Fantasia' by Thomas, who will be part of the international jury team alongside Dr Robert Childs and Hannes Buchegger, followed by their own-choice selections.

The 2A Categoria (Second Section) will see BrassKnedl-Die Puschtra Brassband from Val Pusteria compete against Imola Brass Band performing own choice selections.

Following the competitive action there will be a special Gala Concert with Brass Band Wipptal and Sudtiroler Jugend Brass Band alongside featured vocal soloists Tobias Buchegger and Sara Koell as well as Florian Klingler (trumpet) and Lito Fontana.

Five bands will take part in two different sections, with the 1A Categoria (Championship Section) seeing the defending champion the Italian Brass Band from Rome hoping to make it three wins in a row4BR

Competing bands:
Championship Section:

Brass Band Wipptal (Florian Klingler)
Italian Brass Band (Filippo Cangiamila)
Brass Band Uberetsch (Hans Finatzer)

Second Section:

BrassKnedl-Die Puschtra Brassband (N/K)
Imola Brass Band (Fabrizio Bugani)