IRTC
International Round Table Conference 2026:
The Sound of Europe
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The International Round Table Conference (IRTC) is held prior to each European Championships for Wind Orchestras (ECWO).
This year's program:
PROGRAM
14.00 – 16.00 Round table conference – The Sound of Europe
Welcome and Opening Remarks - Jan Matthys, President of ECWO.
1. Wind Music as a Driving Force in the Creative Economy
Speaker: CEO of Messe Stuttgart – BRAWO as a successful connecting model (Music industry, artists, volunteering)
2. Rediscovering Concert Band Repertoire
Speaker: Jörg Murschinski – Experiencing German wind music classics a new (to be confirmed)
3. CISM – Projects with Sustainability
Introduction – ValentinBischof, President of the CISM
International Conductors Competition – Daniel Leskovitsch
Certification Course for Wind Music Jury Members – Heiko Schulze
International Youth Orchestra Competition (representative from organizer BDB to be confirmed)
European Championship of Bohemian-Moravian Music – Gottfried Reisegger (to be confirmed)
4. ECWO - From competition organizer to creative driver and networking platform
Moderation and discussion chaired by Jan Matthys – President of the ECWO.
International Round Table Conference 2023
Conservatory of Amiens (FR)
"What are the different wind orchestra conducting courses for young people in each European country and how can we improve and network them?"
Presented by ECWO, CISM, AFEEV and CMF.
Three 10-minute contributions by Vicente Cerda Garcia, President of the Confederacion Espanola de Sociedes Musicales, Mitja Dragolič, Music director of the Zveza Slovenskih Godb and Jan van den Eijnden, cultural education officer LKCA.
Followed by discussions on how to initiate Europe wide work, to identify all initial and formal, but also ongoing and non-formal, courses and workshops. How to inform all potential young conductors, already in training and/or who wish to improve their skills. How to build bridges between the different training courses in each country.
Introduced and concluded by Ludovic Laurent-Testoris,Vice-president of the Confédération musicale de France and member of CISM board. Moderated by Bill Connor, president of the British association of symphonic bands and wind ensembles and music officer in the ECWO board.
International Round Table Conference 2018
BOZAR Brussel (BE)
"The impact of playing music on society"
VLAMO and the ECWO board are pleased to present “The impact of playing music on society”, an international symposium preceding ECWO 2018. On the eve of the second European Championship for Wind Orchestras, we hope to inspire you with thoughts and reflections about the social impact of making music.
A panel of three speakers will take up these questions and together with us, discuss the social impact of making music. Harrie Reumkens (NL), artistic manager of the World Music Concours (WMC) Kerkrade (NL), Lukas Pairon (BE) is a doctoral student at Ghent University and the founding member of the international research platform SIMM (Social Impact of Making Music) and Bill Connor (UK), president of BASBWE (UK) and member of ECWO.sdfsdfsd
International Round Table Conference 2016
Old Council Room of the Utrecht Town Hall (NL)
"Music education for children in primary schools"
Prior to the first European Championship for Wind Orchestras (ECWO), which was held on May 21st, 2016 by KNMO in the TivoliVredenburg concert hall in Utrecht, an International Round Table Conference (IRTC) took place on May 20th. The conference was organised by KNMO in cooperation with ECWO and WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles). This IRTC took place in the attractive old town council room of the Utrecht town hall. Moderator of the IRTC was Raymond Knops, member of the Dutch parliament and music lover.
The main theme of the IRTC was music education for children in primary schools.
Key note speeches were given by Bill Connor (UK), Karl Ole Mitbø (N), Jan Matthys (BE) and Arend Nijhuis (NL).
International Round Table Conference 2024
Kronesalen in Sentralen Oslo (Norway)
"Ecosystem in bands"
Rita H. Lystad, president Norwegian Band Federation welcomed us.
Eline Melgalvis, adviser at the Saving Bank Foundation (Sparebankstiftelsen DnB), told usabout the long-term commitment to strengthen and develop the level and competence ofconducting in Norway. “Dirigentløftet” contributes to mobilizing the entire Norwegian musicalsector, from volunteers and municipal performing arts schools, high schools and universities,amateur orchestras, choirs and bands, to all the professional Norwegian musical institutions. Together the aim is to develop and shape our future musical leaders. “Dirigentløftet” alsoinvest systematically in the competence of the many music teachers and conductor who works with youths. Read more here.
Mark Heron presented how conducting is represented in various courses to reach a lot ofstudents at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Different students will beconducting ensembles on different levels and at RNCM they have secured differentpossibilities for the students to be able to access conducting competence.
Jan van den Eijnden, culture education specialist, National Knowledge Institute for CulturalEducation and Amateur art in Utrecht. He presented the research report Conductors and BoarMembers in Changing Times.
Sami Ruusuvuori, President Finnish Wind Band Association – Chief Conductor Helsinki Police Orchestra – The first wind conductor graduated from the DocMus Doctoral Department of theSibelius Academy at the University of the Arts Helsinki with a doctorate in music. He sharedknowledge and reflections on tasks pointed in his doctoral thesis: «Symphonic wind orchestraand European repertoire composed for it» (2022).Perry Göransson, President of the Swedish Windmusic Association and Vice president ofSwedens Young Windplayers, told us about education for band conductors developed togetherby band organizations in Norway and Sweden and Karlstad University, Ingesund school ofmusic. There was a need to develop bands and to increase competence amongteachers/conductors who works with children and youths was seen as cricial. The content inthe courses is based on knowledge of the musician and includes all aspects of being aconductor. Pedagogy and methods are essential – as well as conducting. The conductor’s ownorchestra is used as a basis for supervision and assignments. Perrys conclusion: If you have anidea and if you have friends – you are near the solution.
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