From 20 to 22 November 2026, the fifth European Championship for Wind Orchestras will take place at the Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre in Germany, alongside the BRAWO Music Fair.
As Europe's biennial championship for wind orchestras, ECWO brings together leading ensembles selected by national music federations. It is also an important meeting point for musicians, conductors, composers, federations and professionals dedicated to wind music.
Each edition is hosted with a national federation acting as Local Organising Committee. In 2026, the Bundesvereinigung Deutscher Musikverbände (BDMV) will host the championship in partnership with BRAWO. Visitors will have access to more than 130 trade stands featuring instruments, scores, accessories and services, as well as a broad programme of workshops, lectures and concerts.
"For the first time, ECWO will take place in Germany, in the heart of Europe. We are also proud to welcome wind orchestras from ten European countries - another first for the championship. ECWO is about connecting people, discovering music from across Europe, strengthening the European bond and celebrating Europe's diversity," says Jan Matthys, president of ECWO.
BRAWO, Messe Stuttgart
Germany
Get your tickets
BRAWO, Messe Stuttgart
Germany
Get tickets
14:00 – 16:00 International round-table conference: the Sound of Europe.
16:00 – 18:00 Opening Ceremony (by invitation only)
18:00 – 19:00 Opening concert: Heeresmusikkorps Ulm und Polizeiorchester Baden-Württemberg
01 - Orchestre d'Harmonie desJeunes de Strasbourg (France)
02 - Rødovre Concert Band (Denmark)
03 - Christiania Blåseensemble (Norway)
04 - Sinfonisches Blasorchester Tirol (Austria)
05 - Uppsala Blåsarsymfoniker (Sweden)
06 - Musikkforeningen Nidarholm (Norway) – defending champion
07 - Pihalni orkester ZarjaŠoštanj (Slovenia)
08 - Koninklijk HarmonieOrkest Schelle (Belgium)
09 - Landesblasorchester Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
10 - Associazione Bandistica Increscendo APS (Italy)
Each wind band will play the Test Piece and an Own Choice program. This year's Test Piece is Melancholy Moment by Hubert Hoche (DE).
Hubert Hoche (born 1966, Germany) studied composition and conducting at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar, followed by postgraduate studies in composition. He further refined his artistic profile through studies with Michel Philippot, Bernhard Haitink, and Jan Cober. His works have received numerous awards, including first prizes for Nebelbilder and From Heaven High, as well as recognition at several young composers’ competitions in Germany. His composition O quae mutatio rerum!? won the Hochschulforum junger Komponisten and was broadcast by WDR.
Hoche has collaborated with leading orchestras, ensembles, and soloists, including the Weimarer Staatskapelle, Jena Philharmonic, Thüringen Philharmonie, and rarescale London. In 2017, his interdisciplinary work MYSTIKA for concert band, dancer, and visual artist premiered at the Stadttheater Fürth. He is also active as a conductor of wind orchestras and choirs. A committed advocate for contemporary music, he co-founded the festival Weimarer Frühjahrstage and founded flammabis – contemporary music e.V., serving as its president from 1999 to 2014. Since 2005 he has been Vice President of the Tonkünstlerverband Würzburg, and since 2023 Vice President of both WASBE Germany and the German Composers’ Association (Thuringia).
SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2026
10:00 - Orchestre d'Harmonie des Jeunes de Strasbourg (France)
11:15 - Rødovre Concert Band (Denmark)
12:30 - Christiania Blåseensemble (Norway)
14:00 - Sinfonisches Blasorchester Tirol (Austria)
15:15 - Uppsala Blåsarsymfoniker (Sweden)
16:30 - Musikkforeningen Nidarholm (Norway)*
SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2026
10:00 - Pihalni orkester Zarja Šoštanj (Slovenia)
11:15 - Koninklijk HarmonieOrkest Schelle (Belgium)
12:30 - Landesblasorchester Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
14:00 - Associazione Bandistica Increscendo APS (Italy)
*defending champion
Get your tickets for the ECWO 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany!
Ticket prices
If you ‘re attending both competition days of ECWO, Saturday and Sunday, you need to buy two tickets (= Tageskarte Wochenende). One for Saturday and one for Sunday. Tickets cost € 19 per day.
If you also want to join the International Round Table Conference + Concert (18h00) on Friday 20 November you need a ‘weekday’ ticket (= Tageskarte Wochentag) which costs € 16.
It’s also possible to buy half-day tickets.
Tickets also grant access to the BRAWO Messe and the entire BRAWO programme of concerts, lectures and workshops.
You can buy your tickets for ECWO via the website of BRAWO.
BRAWO, Messe Stuttgart
Messepiazza 1, 70629 Stuttgart in Germany
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