Lieksa Brass Week came up with the idea of having international competitions for young brass players as a part of the festival in the mid 1980’s. However, it took years to turn the plans into reality because of the big economic recession in Finland in the early 1990’s.
Finally things started to come together, and the first Lieksa Brass Week competition was the Scandinavian trombone competition in 1998. Since then the theme instrument of each Lieksa Brass Week has had its own international competition at the festival. The first Lieksa International Brass Quintet Competition took place in 2009 to honour the 30th anniversary of the festival.
2022 The 5th Lieksa International French Horn Competition
(Holger Fransman in memoriam)
1. Achille Fait (Italy)
2. Lauri Vasala (Finland)
3. Yang Liu (China)
2019 The 4th Lieksa International Trombone Competition
(Olavi Lampinen in memoriam)
1. The first prize was not awarded
2. Pavlo Titiaiev (Ukraina)
3. Satoko Akutsu (Japani)
2018 The 3rd Lieksa International Euphonium Competition
1. Ayaka Sato (Japan)
2. Alfedo Leitaō (Portugal)
3. Tobias Reifer (Italy)
2017 The 5th Lieksa International Trumpet Competition
(Raimo Sarmas in memoriam)
1. Huw Morgan (UK)
2. Javier Cantos Sanzhez (Espanja)
3. Renato Longo (Brasilia)
2016 The 4th Lieksa International French Horn Competition
(Holger Fransman in memoriam)
1. Yun Zeng (China)
2. Xiaoxin Liu (China)
3. Aleksi Mäkimattila (Finland)
Programme / First round:
Robert Schumann: Adagio and Allegro op. 70 for Piano and Horn
Francis Poulenc: Élegie for horn and piano ’in memory of Dennis Brain’
Programme / Second round:
Trygve Madsen: Horn Sonata, Op 24
Franz Strauss: Nocturno op. 7
And one of the following
Usko Meriläinen: Grandfather Benno’s Night Music
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Concert etudé
Osmo Tapio Räihälä: Soliloque 2 – la Tornade: For Solo French Horn
Programme / Final round:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Horn Concerto no.4 E flat major k. 495
Jury: Bruno Scheneider (Switzerland, Chairman of the jury), Saar Berger (Israel),
Jose Bernardo Silva (Portugal), Jukka Harju (Finland), Ville Hiilivirta (Finland),
Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the competition)
Accompanist: Joensuu City Orchestra, conducted by József Hárs.
2015 The 3rd Lieksa International Trombone Competition
1. Thomas Callaux (France)
2. Audun Breen (Norway)
3. David Binder (USA)
Programme / First round:
Henri Dutilleux: Choral, Cadence et Fugato
Einar Englund: Panorama
Programme / Second round, two pieces of the following:
Paul Hindemith: Sonate
Jean-Michel Defaÿ: Deux Dances pour Trombone et Piano
Frank Martin: Ballade
Jean-Guy Ropartz: Piéce en mi bémol mineur
Programme / Final round:
Gordon Jacob: Concerto for Trombone & Orchestra.
Jury: Jacques Mauger (France, Chairman of the jury), Tom Bildo (Finland),
Uwe Füssel (German Brass), Zoltán Kiss (Mnozil Brass), Uwe Köller
(German Brass), Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the competition)
Accompanist: Joensuu City Orchestra, conducted by Huba Hollóköi.
2014 The 2nd Lieksa International Brass Quintet Competition
Competition was not held.
2013 The 3rd Lieksa International Tuba Competition
1. Miika Jämsä (Finland)
2. Alfonso Vinas Ramos (Spain)
3. Thomas Kerstner (Austria)
Programme / First round:
Bruce Broughton: Sonata, 1st Movement
Thierry Thibault: Trois danses, 1. Molto Tango
Dmitri Sostakovits (Trans. Harri Miettunen): Adagio
Programme / Second round:
Henry Ecclés: Sonate pour tuba basse et piano
Largo; Allegro con spirito; Allegro; Presto
Tuomas Turriago: Sonata for Tuba and Piano
Programme / Final round:
Markus Fagerudd: Rambling Elephant Rag
Alexander Arutiunian: Tuba concerto
Jury: Walter Hilgers (Germany, Chairman of the jury), Sergio Finca Quirós (Spain),
Harri Lidsle (Finland), Harri Miettunen (Finland), Jukka Myllys (Finland), Benjamin
Pierce (USA), Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the competition)
Accompanist: Joensuu City Orchestra, conducted by Yuri Nitta.
2012 The 4th Lieksa International Trumpet Competition
(Raimo Sarmas in memoriam)
1. Miroslav Petkov (Bulgaria)
2. Juan Fernando Avendano (Colombia)
3. Xiang Guo (China)
Programme / First round:
André Jolivet: Air de Bravoure (1952)
Jacques Ibert: Impromptu (1950)
Edvard Grieg (Arr. Jouko Harjanne & Kari Hänninen): Five Lyrics Pieces
Großmutters Menuett, Im Balladenton, Erotik, Albumblatt, Kanon
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Lasse Eerola: Sonatine for Trumpet and Piano (1995)
Arttu Sipilä: Sonata for Trumpet and piano No. 1 (2010)
Tuomas Turriago: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano (2011)
Harri Wessman: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano (1991)
And
Oskar Böhme: Konzert f-moll op.18
Programme / Final round:
Franz Joseph Haydn: Trumpet Concerto in E-flat
1. Allegro maestoso
2. Andante cantabile
3. Allegro assai
Alexander Goedicke: Concert Study for trumpet and orchestra, Op. 49
Jury: Jouko Harjanne (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Eric Aubier (France),
Luis González Marti (Spain), Andrei Ikov (Russia), Manny Laureano (USA),
Aki Välimäki (Finland), Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the competition)
Accompanist: Jyväskylä Sinfonia, conducted by Tibor Boganyi.
2011 The 2nd Lieksa International Euphonium Competition
1. Glenn Van Looy (Belgium)
2. Gregory Battista (USA)
3. Kyohei Ando (Japan)
Programme / First round:
Antonio Vivaldi: Sonata no. 6 for Violoncello and Piano
Howard J. Buss: Three Euphonics
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Simone Mantia: Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms
Ermano Picchi: Fantasie Originale
Howard Snell: Drink to me only
And one of the following
David R. Gillingham: Vintage
Jukka Linkola: Euphonium Concerto, First Movement
Yasuhide Ito: Fantasy Variations
Programme / Final round:
John Golland: Euphonium Concerto No. 1, Op. 64
Cadenza-Lento
Andante Tranquillo
Allegro
Jury: Raine Ampuja (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Brian Bowman (USA),
Tormod Flaten (Norway), Harri Lidsle (Finland), Jukka Myllys (Finland),
Steve Sykes (USA), Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the competition)
Accompanist: Guards’ Band Helsinki, conducted by
Lieutenant Colonel (Mus.) Elias Seppälä.
2010 The 3rd Lieksa International French Horn Competition
(Holger Fransman in memoriam)
1. Ville Hiilivirta (Finland)
2. Jozsef Hars (Hungary)
3. Maksim Semenov (Russia)
Programme / First round:
Sigurd Berge: Horn-lokk
Robert Schumann: Adagio & Allegro, op. 70
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Concert Étude
Perttu Haapanen: Prism
And
Ludwig van Beethoven: Horn Sonata in F major, Op. 17
And one of the following
Francis Poulenc: Elegie
Franz Strauss: Nocturno, op. 7
Programme / Final round:
Gordon Jacob: Concerto for Horn and Strings
Allegro moderato –cadenza
Adagio
Allegro con spirito, quasi presto
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Rondo in E flat, KV 371
Jury: Raine Ampuja (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Lisa Ford (Sweden/USA),
Kalervo Kulmala (Finland), Jeffrey Lang (USA), Miklos Nagy (Hungary),
Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the competition)
Accompanist: Lapland Chamber Orchestra, conducted by John Storgårds.
2009 Lieksa International Brass Quintet Competition
1. Mediterranean Chamber Brass (Spain)
2. New Brass Quintet (Russia)
Programme / First round:
Kirmo Lintinen: Foolproof Fanfare (for Brass Quintet)
Malcolm Arnold: Quintet for Brass, Op. 73
I Allegro Vivace
II Chaconne
III Con Brio
Programme / Second round:
20-minute, show-like programme (optional repertoire)
And
Witold Lutoslawski: Mini Overture
Jukka Linkola: Suite for Brass Quintet
Last Time – Rag Time (I), Lullaby (II), March (III)
Programme / Final round:
Juha Pisto: Three Picturesques for Brass Quintet
1. Myth, 2. Elegy, 3. Humoresque
Alexander Arutiunian: Armenian Scenes
1. Morning Song, 2. Drinking Song, 3. Song of Grief,
4. Wedding Procession
Eric Ewazen: Frostfire
1. Bright and Fast, 2. Gentle and Mysterious, 3. Tense and Dramatic
Jury: Sami Hannula (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Jukka Myllys (Finland),
Benjamin Pierce (USA), Wolfgang Bauer (Germany), Fukuda Yoshiaki (Japan),
Hiroshi Matsuzaki (Japan), Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the
competition)
2008 The 2nd Lieksa International Trombone Competition
(Olavi Lampinen in memoriam)
1. Juan Carlos Matamoros Cuenca (Spain)
2. Lars Karlin (Sweden)
3. Guilhem Gusnierek (France)
Programme / First round:
Henry Dutilleux: Choral, Cadence et Fugato
Einar Englund: Panorama
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Eero Hämeenniemi: Akela
Vincent Persichetti: Parable
Folke Rabe: Basta
And two of the following
Paul Hindemith: Sonate
Allegro moderato maestoso
Allegretto grazioso
Allegro pesante (Lied des Raufbolds)
Allegro moderato maestoso
Jean-Michel Defaÿ: Deux Dances pour Trombone et Piano
Danse Sacrée, Lent
Danse Profane, Mouvement de Samba
Frank Martin: Ballade
Jean-Guy Ropartz: Piéce en min bémol mineur
Programme / Final round:
Nino Rota: Trombone Concerto
Allegro giusto
Lento, ben ritmato
Allegro moderato
Carl Maria von Weber: Romance
Jury: Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the jury, Chairman of the
competition), Lisa Albrecht (USA), Indalecio Bonet (Spain), Jonas Bylund
(Germany / Sweden), Abbie Conant (Germany / USA), Valtteri Malmivirta
(Finland)
Accompanist: Joensuu City Orchestra, conducted by Esa Heikkilä.
2007 The 3rd Lieksa International Trumpet Competition
(Raimo Sarmas in memoriam)
1. Tomas Gricius (Lithuania)
2. Stanislav Ilchenko (Russia)
3. Kazuaki Kikumoto (Japan)
Programme / First round:
Marcel Bitsch: Fantasietta
Bohuslav Martinu: Sonatina
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Eric Ewazen: Sonata
Paul Hindemith: Sonata
Karl Pilss: Sonata
And one of the following
Willi Brandt: Concert Piece No. 1, op. 11
Willi Brandt: Concert Piece No. 2, op. 12
And one of the following
Eugene Bozza: Frigariana
Joseph Turrin: Caprice
Programme / Final round:
Joseph Haydn: Trumpet concerto in E flat major
Allegro maestoso
Andante cantabile
Allegro assai
Alexander Arutiunian: Elegy
Jury: Jouko Harjanne (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Andrea Giuffredi (Italy),
Touko Lundell (Finland), Brian McWhorter (USA), Jon Nelson (USA),
Aki Välimäki (Finland), James Watson (USA), Kauko Karjalainen
(Finland, Chairman of the competition)
Accompanist: Vivo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Esa Heikkilä.
2006 The 2nd Lieksa International Tuba Competition
1. Bernd van Echelpoel (Belgium)
2. Miika Jämsä (Finland)
3. Bruno Osinski (France)
Programme / First round:
Atso Almila: Tussock Hill Quarry
Anthony Plog: Three Miniatures for tuba and piano
Programme / Second round:
John Stevens: Remembrance
Lasse Eerola: Amorous Play for tuba and piano
Trygve Madsen: Sonata for tuba and piano op. 34
Programme / Final round:
Yasushi Akutagawa: Triptyque
Torbjörn Iwan Lundquist: Landscape
Jury: John Stevens (USA, Chairman of the jury), Øystein Baadsvik (Norway),
Petri Keskitalo (Finland), Thomas Rüedi (Austria), Thierry Thibault (France),
Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the competition)
Accompanist: St. Michel Strings, conducted by Yuri Nitta.
2005 The 2nd Lieksa International French Horn Competition
(Holger Fransman in memoriam)
1. Jukka Harju (Finland)
2. Stefán Jón Bernhardsson Wilkinson (Iceland)
3. Renate Hupka (Germany)
Programme / First round:
Robert Schumann: Adagio und Allegro op. 70
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Rondo in Eb major
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Concert étude for Solo Horn
Sigurd Berge: Hornløkk
Vitali Bujanovski: Baumann Sonate
And
Eugene Bozza: Sur les cimes
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Horn Concerto no. 4 in Eb major
Programme / Final round:
Richard Strauss: Horn concerto No. 2
Jury: Atso Almila (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Volker Altman (Austria),
Erja Joukamo-Ampuja (Finland), Frank Lloyd (UK), Timo Ronkainen (Finland),
Kauko Karjalainen (Finland, Chairman of the competition)
Accompanist: Joensuu City Orchestra, conducted by Hannu Koivula.
2004 Lieksa International Euphonium Competition
1. Benjamin Pierce (USA)
2. Mark Carlson (USA)
3. Roland Fröscher (Switzerland)
Programme / First round:
Kalevi Aho: Solo VIII
Benedetto Marcello: Sonata No. 3 in A minor
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Sergei Rahmaninov: Vocalise in C major
Jean Sibelius: Nocturne for flute and piano (octava bassa in C)
from the suite Belshazar’s Feast
Edward Elgar: Romance op. 62
Maurice Ravel: Piece in the form of an Habanera
And one of the following
John Stevens: Soliloquies
Neal Corwell: Four Short Narratives
David R. Gillingham: Blue Lake Fantasies
Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen: Four Lyric Pieces
And one of the following
Vladimir Cosma: Euphonium Concerto
Jan Bach: Concert Variations
Brian Bowen: Euphonium Music
David R. Gillingham: Vintage
Programme / Final round:
Martin Ellerby Euphonium Concerto
or
Jukka Linkola Euphonium Concerto
Jury: Jouko Harjanne (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Steven Mead (UK),
Jukka Myllys (Finland), Sverre Olsrud (Norway), Thomas Rüedi (Switzerland)
Accompanist: Oulu Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Pietari Inkinen.
2003 Lieksa International Trombone Competition
1. (not given)
2. shared by Antoine Ganaye (France) & Robert Kozánek (Czech Republic)
3. Guillaume Cottet- Dumoulin (France)
Programme / First round:
Askell Masson: Monoloque for solo trombone
Henri Dutilleux: Choral, Cadence et Fugato
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Einar Englund: Panorama
Erland von Koch: Monolog no. 8
Folke Rabe: Basta
And one of the following
Johann Georg Albrechtsberger: Trombone Concerto
Michael Haydn: Trombone Concerto
Leopold Mozart: Trombone Concerto
And one of the following
Paul Hindemith: Sonate
Jean-Michel Defaÿ: Deux Dances pour Trombone et Piano
Frank Martin: Ballade
Programme / Final round:
Henri Tomasi: Concerto pour Trombone et Orchestra
Paul Creston: Fantasy
Jury: Jouko Harjanne (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Jean Raffard (France),
Jörgen van Rijen (Netherlands), Alain Trudel (Canada), Antti Autio (Finland)
Accompanist: Joensuu City Orchestra, conducted by Hannu Koivula.
2002 The 2nd Lieksa International Trumpet Competition
(Raimo Sarmas in memoriam)
1. (not given)
2. Timur Martynov (Russia)
3. Ibrahim Maalouf (France)
Programme / First round:
Arutiunian - Ibert - Jolivet
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Einojuhani Rautavaara Tarantará
Ketil Hvoslef: Tromba Solo
Allen Vizzutti: Cascades
Anthony Plog: Postcards
And one of the following
Paul Hindemith: Sonate für Trompete in B und Klavier, 1st movement
Stanley Friedman: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, 1st movement
Halsey Stevens: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, 1st movement
And one of the following
Johann Wilhelm Hertel Trumpet Concerto No. 1
Georg Philipp Telemann: Konzert D-dur
Tomaso Albinoni: Concerto Saint-Marc Bb
Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto en La Bemol
Programme / Final round:
Ernst Bloch: Proclamation
Joseph Haydn: Trumpet concerto in E flat major
Allegro maestoso
Andante cantabile
Allegro assai
Jury: Jouko Harjanne (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Aki Välimäki (Finland),
Michael Brydenfelt (Denmark), Bo Nilsson (Sweden), Ole Edvard Antonsen
(Norway), Ari Angervo (Finland)
Accompanist: Joensuu City Orchestra, conducted by Hannu Koivula.
2001 Lieksa International Tuba Competition
1. shared by Roland Szentpáli (Hungary) & Alessandro Fossi (Italy)
2. (not given)
3. Arnaud Boukhitine (France)
Programme / First round:
Anthony Plog: Three Miniatures
Jonathan D. Green: When We Were Giants
Programme / Second round, one of the following:
Edvard Gregson: Alarum
Krzysztof Penderecki: Capriccio
Askell Masson: Boreas
John Stevens: Salve Venere, Salve Marte
And one of the following
Trygve Madsen: Sonata
Bruce Broughton: Sonata
And one of the following
Fritz Kreisler: Liebeslied (arr. P. Sheridan)
Sigmund Romberg: Serenade from Student Prince (arr. P. Sheridan)
Manuel Ponce: Estrellita (arr. P. Sheridan)
Programme / Final round:
Markus Fagerudd: Iigo-iigo for tuba and orchestra
Jury: Jouko Harjanne (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Roger Bobo (Italy),
Vicente López (Spain), Harri Miettunen (Finland), Steve Rosse (Australia),
Patrick Sheridan (USA)
Accompanist: Vaasa City Orchestra, conducted by Hannu Norjanen.
2000 Lieksa International French Horn Competition
(Holger Fransman in memoriam)
1. Simon Breyer (Germany)
2. Mika Paajanen (Finland)
3. Manuel Jarrega Ventura (Spain)
Programme / First round:
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Concert Étude for Solo Horn
Robert Schumann: Adagio und Allegro
Programme / Second round:
Anthony Plog: Three Miniatures for Horn in F and Piano
W.A. Mozart: Horn-konzert Nr. 2 Es-dur, KV.417
And one of the following
Francis Poulenc: Elegie for Horn and Piano
Paul Dukas: Villanelle
Eugene Bozza: En fôrét
Programme / Final round:
Richard Strauss: Horn Konzert Nr.2
Jury: Jouko Harjanne (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Antero Kasper (Finland),
Arvids Klishans (Latvia), Markus Maskuniitty (Finland), Marie Luise Neunecker
(Germany), Marcus Schmidinger (Austria).
Accompanist: American Horn Quartet and the Estonian National Symphony
Orchestra, conducted by Arvo Volmer.
1999 Lieksa International Trumpet Competition
(Raimo Sarmas in memoriam)
1. Touko Lundell (Finland)
2. Jaroslav Halir (Czech Republic)
3. Ismael Betancor Almeida (Spain)
Programme / First round:
Arthur Honegger: Intrada
Einojuhani Rautavaara: Tarantará
Programme / Second round:
Leif Segerstam: Fragments R. Sarmas in Memoriam
Georg Enescu: Legend
Programme / Semifinal, one of the following:
Stanley Friedman: Sonata
Harri Wessman: Sonata
And one of the following
Leopold Mozart: Concerto in D major
G. Ph. Telemann: Concerto in D major
Programme / Final round:
Andre Jolivet: Concertino
And one of the following
F.J. Haydn: Concerto in Eb major
J.N. Hummel: Concerto in E major
Jury: Jouko Harjanne (Finland, Chairman of the jury), Henri Adelbrecht (France),
Eric Aubier (France), Carlos Benetó Grau (Spain), Juanjo Serna Salvador (Spain),
Aki Välimäki (Finland).
Accompanist: Joensuu City Orchestra, conducted by Leif Segerstam.
1998 The Scandinavian Trombone Competition
1. Jessica Gustavsson (Sweden)
2. John Kotka (Finland)
3. Sigurdur Sveinn Thorbergsson (Iceland)
4. Andras Olsen
Programme / First round:
Eero Hämeenniemi: Akela (solo)
Eugene Bozza: Ballade for trombone and piano op. 62
Programme / Second round:
Georg Christoph Wagenseil: Trombone concerto E flat major
Kazimierz Serocki: Sonatina for trombone and piano
Programme / Final round:
Henri Tomasi: Trombone concerto
I Andante et Scherzo- Tempo di valse
II Andante
III Allegro Giocoso
or
Launy Grøndahl: Konsertto
I Moderato assai
II Quasi una Leggenda
III Finale: Maestoso-Rondo
Jury: Jouko Harjanne (Finland, chairman of the competition), Teppo
Alestalo (Finland), Jens Bjørn-Larsen (Denmark), Jonas Bylund (Sweden),
Mark Lawrence (USA), Heikki Moisio (Finland), Kari Sundström (Finland / USA)
Accompanist: Oulu City Orchestra, conducted by Arvo Volmer.
