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Ottoni di Verona

Ottoni di Verona

The Lord helps those who help themselves,” Giordano Fermi¹ must have said to himself one day: so he got busy...

Giordano Fermi started the Verona Brass (Ottoni di Verona in Italian), an ensemble of varying instrumentation (from six to fifteen brass plus organ or percussion) in the mid seventies. Two international competitions, Ancona in 1978 and Stresa in 1980, awarded them 1st prizes, giving them a wonderful start. Since then the group has increased its concert activity, at first in its own area, Venezia and Lombardy, and then farther and farther afield. In 1986 they had a memorable tour in China.

Their repertoire is wide (if only because of their variable instrumentation) and diverse, using both modern and historical instruments.

The current membership is: Ivano Ascari, Ivan Bacchi, Franco Capilupi and Giordano Fermi (trumpets - Bb/C, Baroque, piccolo, flugel); Cristiano Boschesi, Bruno Brunelli, Thomas Reynolds and Alberto Serati (trombones, sackbuts, euphoniums); Oreste Gazzoldi (tuba); Damiano Rossi (organ) and Cesare Bisagni (percussion).

The festival

But Giordano Fermi did not stop there, for his organising talent led him to start the Verona International Brass Festival. A masterstroke! Once he had obtained the solid support of a local bank (the Cassa di Risparmio di Verona, Vicenza e Belluno), he turned aside from the beaten track. Whereas most festivals in this field are concentrated into a few days and offer an exhausting non-stop programme which often fives a superficial impression, the Verona festival (for brass!) has come up with a new and interesting formula: brass ensembles from many countries are invited (often chosen from BRASS BULLETIN presentations, according to Fermi) and their performances spread over a month (May) on the basis of one ensemble per weekend.

Each ensemble gives three concerts in different venues (Verona, Mantua, Schio or Bassano del Grappa) and takes part in an educational seminar at the Mantua Conservatoire, to which all Italian brass players, teachers and students are invited. As all the concerts are recorded, the organisers are able to produce a sampler record of each festival.

What is exceptional about the Verona Brass is that they attract not only brass freaks like ourselves but also a general audience, thus creating a real link between players and listeners and demonstrating to the latter the special resources of our family of instruments.

An example to follow

The success of the first two means it is already possible to announce that the 3rd International Brass Festival will take place in May 1989.

Giordano Fermi has managed to create an exceptional spirit of cultural enterprise which is part of the welcome upturn in Italian brass playing. We can take inspiration from his friendly and efficient formula, which stimulates artistic creation as well as exchange between colleagues and offers new professional outlets for musicians. (See also World News.)

Details and records of the festival and of the Verona Brass are obtainable from:

Gruppo Strumentale Ottoni di Verona, via Sant’Eurosia 8, I-37060 Trevenzuolo/Verona
☎ 045-735 02 13

¹ Giordano Fermi was born in Mantua, in Italy, in 1947. After obtaining his diploma as trumpeter and choral conductor/composer he played with the Verona Amphitheatre Orchestra, the Padua Chamber Orchestra and the «Solisti Veneti». He founded the Verona Brass and has written and transcribed many choral and instrumental works.

Brass Bulletin 59, III / 1987 pages 40–41

All content is protected by copyright © Brass Bulletin 1987–2026

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