New faces for the EBBA Music Commission
At the recent European Brass Band Association's Annual General Meeting two appointments were made: a new Chairperson and a brand-new member to the EBBA Music Commission. Ben Haemhouts from Belgium was confirmed as the new Chairperson. He takes over from Chris King (England) who stepped down from the role in order to become one of EBBA’s financial auditors.
Joining the distinguished international panel is Katrina Marzella-Wheeler from Scotland. She joins Ben and the experienced team of Frode Rydland (Norway), Oliver Waespi (Switzerland) and Andreas Wetterlund (Sweden). Katrina needs little introduction to the European audience following her recent ground-breaking appearance at the 2025 European Championships where she became the first female Musical Director to conduct a band in the top division of the contest. Katrina certainly made her presence felt, not only leading the Cooperative Band to a creditable 5th place overall but also earning a 2nd place on Fredrick Schjelderup’s work in the set-test portion of the contest.
Commenting on the additions to the Music Commission, EBBA President Ulf Rosenberg welcomed them to their new roles stating, “Our thanks go to Chris King for his excellent work and who remains part of the EBBA organisation in a new position, and we welcome Ben and Katrina to the Music Commission; one of the most important roles in shaping the musical development of European banding.”
