Invitation

14th International Competition for Wind Orchestras and Composers
Omišalj – Croatia

Dear orchestras and composers,

We invite you to the 14th International Competition of Wind Orchestras and Composers in the Composition Category. The competition will be held from (24.04. -26.04.2025) in the new hall of the Community Center in the tourist town of Omišalj on the island of Krk, which is connected to the mainland via the Krk Bridge. We also plan to hold a part of the competition in the city of Rijeka.

The participants of the festival will be accommodated in the Uvala Scott Hotel in Kraljevica near the Krk Bridge, which is 6 km from the tourist town of Omišalj and 5 km from Rijeka Airport and the city of Rijeka about 20 km away.

1. The competition program consists of two parts:

a) The competition of wind orchestras at the festival is held in 4 categories (A, B C and in D the youth category) divided by the difficulty of performing the compositions.

b) Online competition of composers in the category: Composition.Anyone who composes this type of music can submit compositions to the competition.

a) In the categories for wind orchestras (A B and C) 4 pieces are played in the following order:

• Warm-up piece: (must be of a level of difficulty equal to or higher than their category and will not be subject to evaluation;
• Two compulsory pieces: the jury provides two compulsory pieces of different character/style, these determine the category in which the orchestra will perform in the competition;
  A piece of choice: with a level of difficulty equal to or higher than their chosen ategory and is subject to evaluation by the jury.

In category A the duration of the performance is a maximum of 45 minutes, in category B up to 40 minutes and in category C up to 35 minutes. Competitors are required to respect the maximum times established for the individual categories; for those who do not respect these limits, a penalty of 5/100 for each minute exceeded will be applied.

For youth category D, members of the orchestra who are not older than 25 years of age are entitled to perform. Youth wind orchestras in category D.
They perform three pieces: a warm-up piece, one mandatory piece and a piece of their choice, lasting no more than 30 minutes. If they are assessed as being able to perform in a more difficult category than category D, they may compete in a higher category.

Solo instrumental or vocal pieces are not permitted in any way in any category.

2. Categorization and names of mandatory compositions in A, B, C and D categories:

In the competitive part, the orchestras perform in four categories (A, B, C, D) in front of an expert jury of 3 members in the following categories.

• CATEGORY A - WEIGHT 4.5 - 6
• CATEGORY B - WEIGHT 3-4.5
• CATEGORY C - WEIGHT 2 - 3
• CATEGORY D – Young orchestras

Names of compulsory compositions for brass bands by category (A, B, C and D)

Category. A - Level 4.5 – 6

• Andrea Alvarez - DOBOGÓKŐ - The heart of the earth, Mordente music
• Joseph Hellmesberger - Danse diabolique, De Haske Music

Category B - Level 3 - 4.5

• Jacob de Haan - Festa Paesana, De Haske Music
• Ralph Benatzky arr. Jure Primozic - Selection from "Im Weissen Rössl", Bora Verlag

Category C - Level 2 -3

• Philip Sparke - A Klezmer Carnival, Anglo Music- - Franz Lehar, arr. Matteo
• Firmi/Stefano Pastorcich - Selection from "Die Lustige Witwe", Bora Verlag

Category. D – Youth Orchestra

• Ennio Salvere - A Social Suite, Molenaar
• Johan Strauss, arr. Hans Thaler - Bijoux Polka, Bora Verlag

After the performance of the compositions in the break before the announcement of the results of the competition, the jury will invite the presidents and conductors of the orchestra to interviews and give expert advice for the further progress of the orchestra, while not giving them the results of the competition for the performance of their compositions. All orchestras will receive the results of the competition at the closing ceremony of the festival.

Be sure to read all other information about the competition in our Rulebook on the our web site or which we send you together with the invitation to the festival.

b) In the composition category: Composers must submit a composition for wind orchestra of difficulty between level 2 and 3. The submitted composition must be original. Popular themes can be used, but must be on the cover as a source of the work that the author must briefly and exhaustively illustrate.

Please take a look at the composition "Bright Dawn Overture" by Frank Cesarini, which is listed in category C and may be helpful in composing your new composition.

Competitors, authors of newly composed compositions should send an e-mail to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

with the subject "TITLE OF WORK, composition - Blasmusikfest 2026" and send:

• 1 PDF file containing the score (only and exclusively with the title of the work, without the name of the author);
• 1 attached file with the author's personal data and the title of the work.

Each author reserves all rights of publication.

Multiple works can be submitted, taking into account Art. 5 of the Festival Regulations.

The winning composition will be selected as the mandatory composition for the Mitteleuropa Blasmusikfest 2027.The entry fee for composers is €60 for each submitted composition. Entry fees are payable upon registration and are non-refundable. All bank and/or postal charges are the responsibility of the competition participants. Contestants in the composition category can apply until March 15, 2026 

The winner will be announced on the festival's social media pages (Facebook and Instagram) on April 26, 2026.

All other information regarding the competition must be read in our Regulations which can be found on this website. Festival participants, orchestras and their tour escorts have a package deal based on two full boards, starting with dinner on Friday (24.04.) and ending on Sunday (26.04.2025) with lunch. 

Conductors from each orchestra have free accommodation and food in a double room. Wind orchestras can bring other accompanying persons with them and register them on their group list. All orchestras and their tour escorts will receive a color festival brochure as a souvenir with their photos, compositions and a short description of the orchestra

The registration fee is €400 for orchestras in categories (A, B, C) while in the youth category D the registration fee is €350. The registration fee is paid upon registration and is not refundable to the orchestras. 
In their free time, the orchestras and their entourage can tour the city of Rijeka and the 10 km away tourist destination of Opatija - the pearl of the Mediterranean.

To send the festival application form for the competition as well as other organizational questions, including the price of accommodation, please contact us by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For musical questions regarding the competition, please contact the president of the festival jury Matteo Firmi in Italian or English: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Festival Organizing Committee