25th International Brass Festival in Merano

Brass music – music performed on brass wind instruments – finds a unique setting each year in the magnificent Kursaal of the Kurhaus in Merano. This year, the festival celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Saturday, 3 October 2026 – R.E.T. BRASS BAND

The R.E.T. Brass Band brings together outstanding brass players, including professional orchestral musicians, music teachers, and music students from across Tyrol. In its founding year, 2014, the ensemble—made up exclusively of Tyrolean musicians—won the first Austrian Brass Band Championship and went on to represent Austria at the European level.

Saturday, 10 October 2026 – PRO BRASS

What makes PRO BRASS so special? The ensemble combines exceptional brass playing with original compositions, creative arrangements, and a fascinating variety of musical styles. It is the perfect blend of technical excellence, joy in performance, and musical passion. Equally distinctive is the ensemble's unique approach to concert presentation: entertaining, engaging, and full of surprises. Anyone who has experienced a PRO BRASS concert knows that here music is not simply performed—it is celebrated.

Friday, 16 October 2026 – MATTHIAS HÖFS & MICHAEL SCHÖCH

At the age of six, Matthias Höfs declared that the trumpet was "his instrument because it is so beautiful and brilliant." At just eighteen, he became principal trumpet of the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, where he spent sixteen years immersed in the fascinating world of opera. He later joined the internationally acclaimed ensemble GERMAN BRASS, with which he has performed successfully around the world.

Saturday, 17 October 2026 – GERMAN BRASS

The success of GERMAN BRASS lies in its unmistakable sound. As pioneers among brass ensembles, GERMAN BRASS has been making music history since its foundation in 1974 and continues to write new chapters in its remarkable success story. The ten solo brass players and university professors are renowned for their uncompromising pursuit of the ensemble's authentic sound, rediscovering and reinventing it in every concert and every recording.