Fanfare

Welcome to the Annual WindWorx Fanfare!

The WindWorx Fanfare was launched in 2011 and has since grown to the biggest wind band festival in the country with about 750 musicians attending both in 2023 and 2024

The event runs over two days with an opening concert on the first night where the WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensemble and other invited wind bands would perform. We have been very fortunate to have the SA Navy and Army Bands (Western Cape), Johannesburg Youth Symphonic Wind Band, Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble, Concordia University Wind Symphony (Chicago) and the Star of the North Concert Band (Minnesota) perform at this event over the years.

Band Evaluations

The main focus of the Fanfare is the evaluation of wind, brass and jazz bands by highly regarded adjudicators including Sean Kierman, Pamela Kierman, John Rojas, Gareth Williams, Mervyn Solomon, Nick Green, Laurika Steenkamp, Kenny Leibbrandt, Liam Burden, Felicia Lesch, Allistair McDonald, Corvin Matei, Faan Malan, Vernon Michells, John Hargreaves and Phil Golson.

It is important to note that the event is not a competition. Instead, evaluations are confidential, sealed and provided solely for personal growth.

In addition to the formal evaluations, the event offers an informal platform for performances that enrich the experience for attending fans. The festival concludes with a grand finale featuring the presentation of certificates, a concert showcasing additional invited bands, and the highly anticipated massed band, a collective ensemble comprised of hundreds of dedicated musicians.

Looking back at Fanfare 2024

Fanfare 2025

Dates: 16 & 17 May 2025
Venue: Wynberg Boys High School

Applications will open in January

The event was held on 3 and 4 May at the Bellville high School and was attended by 22 bands, made up of about 750 musicians, performing over two days.

The adjudicators were wind band experts Liam Burden, Felicia Lesch and Kenny Leibbrandt who, this year, gave independant reports to participants to further the festival aim of not being a competition.

The opening concert on 3 May included participants of the day and the Windworx Symphonic Wind Ensemble under direction of Liam Burden.

On the programme was A Festival Prelude (Alfred Reed), El Camino Real (Alfred reed), Arutiunian Tuba Concerto, with special guest Jarett McCourt (first photo below), and The Empire Strikes Back, celebrating “Star Wars Day” on May the 4th (be with you).

On 4 May the evaluations continued and the festival ended with a final concert with more participants of the weekend taking the stage and ending with massed junior and senior bands conducted by Jeany Kelly, Peter Catzavalos, Charlene Verster and Riaan van Wyk.

Photos from from the 2024 event

See more photos

BOTHNERS provided the backline for jazz bands and had a stand with various items for sale, including saxophone and clarinet reeds, slide grease, etc..

ALLMUSIC had a stand with music from a variety of publishers for all brass and woodwind instruments, as well as the famous Gleichweit clarinet mouthpieces. They also provided an instrument technician on site for emergency repairs and advice.