The Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition will return in 2023.

First held in 2019, it will be hosted at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, curated by its Head of Brass, Amos Miller.

The competition aims to promote the excellence and enterprise of young brass quintets in brass chamber music performance — reflecting the pioneering legacy of the legendary Philip Jones CBE.

2023 also marks the 30th anniversary of the eminent British brass quintet Onyx Brass, of which Philip Jones was a patron and which led to the commission of numerous works for the medium.

Initiated by Ursula Jones and supported by Buffet Crampon and the Royal Philharmonic Society, several of the set repertoire suggestions for the competition come from the Onyx Brass catalogue, with initial entries assessed by members of the group, and their composer-in-association Timothy Jackson.

Format

The competition format is for an ensemble of two trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba.

Brass players wishing to take part must be aged 18 — 30 at the time of the competition, with a group average of no more than 28. Applications will therefore be accepted from those born on or after 20th July 1989.

Applications

Applications close on 7th February 2023. The First Round will take place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire between the 10th- 16th July.

The first prize is £7,500 with additional prizes of £5,000 and £2,500.

Find out more

To find out more go to: https://pjbe.org/