The Jury

For the World Youth Band Festival we have well-known experts. All of them will make sure that the performances will be judged competently. Here you can find the assignments of the jury members.

Bert Appermont (Belgium)

He was born in Bilzen, Belgium, on the 27th of December, 1973 He has written two symphonies for wind ensemble, two musicals, an opera and an oratorium and more than 100 pieces for wind orchestra, choir, and symphony orchestra. At Luca School of Arts in Leuven, he teaches composition didactics and ensemble playing. He is one of the leading European composers for wind music. As a recognition for his international contribution to wind music, he received the prestigious international Buma-award in 2020. He has built up a remarkable reputation as a conductor, guesting in both his native Belgium and abroad. His works have been performed all over the world, and nearly all of his compositions have been recorded by renowned wind bands. At the WJMF Bert Appermont is member of the jury for the concert competitions

Frans-Aert Burghgraef (Netherlands)

Frans-Aert Burghgraef studied orchestral conducting at the conservatoires of Groningen and Utrecht. From the start of his conducting career in 2014 Mr. Burghgraef conducted almost all Dutch symphony orchestras. His international engagements include St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, Luzern Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, and assisting James Gaffigan in La Fanciulla del West with the Bayerische Staatsoper. Currently he is chief conductor of the Royal Military Band Johan Willem Friso of the Netherlands.

2015-2018 Mr. Burghgraef’s worked as assistant conductor with Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. 2019 Mr. Burghgraef conducted the orchestra in the premiere recording of Hans Kox’ Symphony nr. 6. In the summer of 2021 he conducted music from Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen in a series of concerts with Netherlands Student Orchestra.

2015 maestro Burghgraef was awarded the first prize in the renowned Taipei International Conducting Competition. Chairman of the jury was the illustrious Finnish conductor, coach and scout Jorma Panula. Following the competition Mr. Burghgraef was invited to conduct the Taipei Chinese Orchestra in May 2017. December 2015 FransAert received in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw the prestigious Kersjes Conducting Grant.

At the WJMF Bert Frans-Aert Burghgraef is member of the jury for the concert competitions

Pascal Müller - Born (Switzerland)

Pascal Müller - Born studied at the Lucerne School of Music, where he graduated with a teaching and orchestral diploma in trumpet and conducting. At the same time, he was trained as a music officer by the Swiss army and led various military music formations during his service as a first lieutenant. He worked in Germany for several years, where he conducted theatre productions and symphonic concerts. His CV also includes positions as musical director of various wind orchestras and choirs as well as teaching activities as an instrumental and school music teacher.

He is currently music director of the corps music of the Zurich cantonal police, bandmaster and choirmaster at the St Konrad Catholic Church in Zurich and works as a cultural manager.

At the WJMF Pascal Müller is member of the jury for the concert competitions

Kristin Thielemann (Switzerland)

Kristin Thielemann, former trumpet player in the orchestra of the «Deutsche Oper Berlin», is well-known in Germany, Austria and Switzerland thanks to the success of her practice & music special "Voll motiviert" and the podcast of the same name. Her parents' guide "Every child is musical" (Schott Music 2016) has been translated into Chinese and her publications for trumpet lessons are popular standard works. She is a guest lecturer at universities and music schools in Germany and abroad.

She is a jury member at music competitions in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

At the WJMF Kristin Thielemann is member of the jury for the concert competitions

Thomas Trachsel (Switzerland)

Thomas Trachsel (*1972) studied conducting at the conservatory in Bern. He works as a (guest-)conductor with various windbands and brass bands and also is a teacher for music theory and the history of music. He often is an experts at contests nationally and internationally. Thomas Trachsel also is a composer and has created compositions for the Swiss National Music Contest and the National Youth Brass Band.

At the WJMF Thomas Trachsel will be an expert for the concert competitions.

Niki Wüthrich (Switzerland)

Niki Wüthrich conducts the «Stadtmusik Zurich» as well as the «Stadtmusik Bremgarten». He has successfully conducted many projects for example with the “Camerata Switzerland”, “Collegium Musicum Turicense”, the symphonic orchestra “con Brio”, the academic choir of Zurich and the Youth Windband of Solothurn as well as many others. Niki Wüthrich studied trombone and conducting at the conservatory in Bern.He works as a trombone player for different ensembles, is head of the music school in Bremgarten and member of the windband society of the canton Zurich.

www.nikiwuethrich.ch

At the WJMF Niki Wüthrich will be an expert for the concert contests.

Johanna Begert (Switzerland)

Johanna Begert studied conducting at the conservatory in Bern with Ludwig Wicky as well as saxophon with Christian Roellinger. At the moment she conducts a windband in Matzendorf/Welschenrohr. On the one hand this is a band for evolutions (parademusik.ch) and on the other the band plays a concert gala every two years together with a stringorchestra (symphonicband.ch).

Johanna Begert is often engaged as a jury for parades in Switzerland as well as abroad.

Gilbert Tinner

Gilbert Tinner was born 1965 in St. Gallen, Switzerland. He succesfully completed the SWISS JAZZ School in Bern. His main subjects were trombone, piano, composition and arrangements. He is a trombone player in several bands like the Pepe Lienhard Big Band an he conducts the Swiss Railway windband, the Appenzell windband as well as the big band Atlantis from the eastern part of Switzerland. Next to his work as a playing and conducting musician, he also very much likes to arrange music. His work is published at Halleonard Music Publishers. He often is invited to national- and international happpenings as a teacher, jury or to conduct workshops. www.tinner-music.ch Gilbert Tinner will be judging the parade competition and the show competition.

Fabian Wohlwend (Switzerland)

Fabian Wohlwend started his musical carreer at with the cadets in Horgen. He achieved his diploma for conducting during his military service. As founded and drummajor of showband.CH he was responsible for many show-choreographies since 2008.

Fabian Wohlwend is speaker at several workshops regarding parades and show, he helps out as a guest drummajor for different bands and often is an expert at contests.

Fabian will be judging the parade and show contests.

Roman Lombriser (Switzerland)

When he was six years old, Roman Lombrisser became a drummer. He started as a member of the Youth Music School Uzwil. Since 1979 he is member of an also conducted the Drummers of Fürstenland Gossau. 1982 he won at the Drummer contest in Schwyz. All in all he won 13 national contests in different categories.

The compositions of Roman Lombrisser for various instrumentations are very often played throughout Switzerland.

At the WJMF Roman Lombrisser will be an expert for the percussion competition.

Philipp Rütsche (Switzerland)

Philipp Rütsche was born 1978 and started playing the trumpet when he was 10 years old. He studied conducting as well as percussion. Since 2000 he works for the musical division of the military in Aarau.

His heart goes to playing percussion instruments as well as to being a drum major for big shows. He conducts the Swiss Army Central Band. Together, they performed at many tattoos and shows in Switzerland and abroad.

He also gives workshops and is a member of the Swiss drummers’ and fifers’ association.

At the WJMF Philipp Rütsche will be an expert at the percussion contest.

Marc Stämpfli (Switzerland)

Marc Stämpfli grew up in Unterägeri and began his musical career at the age of 9 as a tambourine player at music school, later adding drumming. After the drum corps recruit school, he trained as a sergeant and gave some great concerts. In 2002, Marc completed his training as a drummer at the Lucerne University of Music with a teaching diploma. He taught in Horgen, Hochdorf, Inwil LU, Menzingen and currently in Oerlikon and Unterägeri. As a composer, he has written numerous pieces for tambourines and percussion ensembles and has been a judge at various competitions since 2009. He can also be found on concert stages and tries to work in as many different ways as possible so that he can incorporate all this experience into his activities. At the WJMF, Marc Stämpfli is the expert for the competition for percussion, drum and tambourine groups.

WJMF