Thanks to the IX Corno – Brass Music Festival, the city of Zielona Góra will once again resonate with music written exclusively for brass instruments, performed by virtuosos from around the world between August 3–9, 2025.
This year’s edition will include masterclasses, lectures, and five diverse concerts open to the public, including the opening parade by the Dizzy Boyz Brass Band – a true feast for brass music lovers.
It is currently the only festival of its kind in Poland and a leading meeting point for the brass music community in Europe.
The program includes a performance by the Zielona Góra Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Christian Lindberg, a film music concert at the Lubuski Theatre conducted by James Thatcher – principal horn of the Hollywood Studio Orchestra, and for the grand finale – a concert by the Corno Brass Ensemble led by Japanese-American trumpet player Eric Miyashiro. One of the most original highlights of the festival will be a fanfare duel in the Town Hall Tower – a musical showdown sure to surprise with both its form and energy.
Fanfares by Witold Lutosławski, Katarzyna Kwiecień-Długosz, and Czesław Grabowski will be heard multiple times in the center of Zielona Góra.
The concerts will feature both professors from renowned music universities and nearly 80 participants from over 20 countries. A 22-member faculty of acclaimed artists and educators from institutions such as the Royal College of Music in London, Hochschule für Musik in Berlin and Rostock, the Anton Bruckner University in Linz, and Polish music academies will lead the activities. To prepare for the concerts, participants will take part in individual and group lessons, as well as workshops focusing on mental and physical well-being in the artistic profession.
An accompanying event will be a brass instrument exhibition with representatives from top musical instrument manufacturers – an attraction of great interest to professional musicians.
The festival was initiated by Łukasz Łacny and Maciej Baranowski, alumni of the State Music School in Zielona Góra.
Organizer: Kolektyw Dźwięku Foundation.
The festival is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state special-purpose fund – as part of the “Music” program implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.
The instrumental workshops are co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund.
The project is supported financially by the City of Zielona Góra and the Lubuskie Voivodeship.
Strategic partners: Zielona Góra Philharmonic, University of Zielona Góra, STOART, Yamaha.
Co-organizers: Lubuski Theatre, Zielona Góra Cultural Center.
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC
Festival wesbite: https://corno.pl/
