Instrumental Festivals

Bands play a very important part in the St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Dublin and throughout the St. Patrick’s Festival itself. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is attended by the President of Ireland and the Lord Mayor of Dublin. The marching route is approximately 1.7 miles long and it takes about 90 minutes to complete. Marching bands, theatrical presentations, and ceremonial elements participate with over half a million people viewing the parade in the streets of Dublin while millions more watch on TV.

The Florence Youth Festival (FOG) was founded in 1999 to give young musicians from all over the world the opportunity to be part of a unique musical experience in the beautiful regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy. The festival’s main venue is the Loggia dei Lanzi located on the Piazza della Signoria, one of the main squares in the city center of Florence. Additional performances take place in Lucca, San Gimignano, Montecatini-Terme, Prato, Perugia and Assisi. FOG is held during the month of July and consists of a total of 50-75 concerts performed by 15-20 orchestras. Each orchestra usually performs three to four concerts. Over 300 ensembles from all over the world have participated in the Florence Youth Festival. In addition to the concerts, educational activities such as workshops and master classes can also be added to the program.

The first Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival was hosted in July 2007. Already during its first year, it realized its two main objectives: to provide a unique platform for the world’s most talented youth choirs, bands and orchestras to perform in Vienna’s magnificent Musikverein and to set new standards in the festival arena. The SCL Festival has gained the broad support of the Austrian public and of many national and international decision makers in the field of politics and culture. Close ties have also been established to foreign embassies and international organization to make this a truly international event. Performing groups may compete with their peers in the “Summa Cum Laude Competition” or they may opt to participate in the non-competitive “Summa Cum Laude Celebration.”

The Mid Europe Festival for Wind Music was created in 1998 by Dr. Wolfgang Suppan, past-President of WASBE (World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles). It is considered to be the largest wind music festival in all of Europe. Besides the breathtaking views of Austria’s Planai and Hochwurzen mountains as seen from the Alpine village of Schladming, the festival will provide your band with the opportunity to hear wind music performed by musicians from around the world. Your band’s own concert performances will be attended by audiences who expect outstanding musicianship and enjoy inspiring music. The festival is a blend of performances and educational opportunities and also gives your musicians the chance to interact and connect socially with musicians from around the world. The groups attending the festival will have opportunities for formal, open-air, late night, and church performances. A highlight of the Festival is Lange Nacht der Musik (Long Night of Music). This night features a marching band show, a candle lit parade and then a night full of concerts from five different stages.