#40 Suggested Repertoire from Around the World for Developing Bands

This 40th installment of suggested repertoire is proposed by Dutch conductor Joop Boerstoel studied at the conservatories in Enschede (conducting and clarinet) and Maastricht (orchestral conducting). Since 1995, Joop has also been active internationally as a guest conductor and clinician. At De Haske (Hal Leonard), he contributed to the development of the “Horen, Lezen & Spelen” series. As an editor, he was involved in the creation of the books “The Tao of Conducting,” and “The Sound Mirror,” written by his teacher and mentor Jan Stulen. With Heleen Huijnen, Joop wrote a book about repertoire, programming and Artistic Vision (Dutch language only). The title of the book is Wijs met Repertoire.

Since 1998, Boerstoel has served as a senior music advisor at Musidesk Rijnbrink in Deventer. He has been active with the RIC (Repertoire Information Center) since 2012. From July 2015 to July 2022, Joop served on the board of WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles). In 2024, he was appointed president-elect of this organization.

Boerstoel conducts several wind orchestras and serves as conductor and artistic director of La Sinfonia Contea (symphony orchestra), and he serves as an adjudicator at festivals and soloist competitions.

Grade 2.5

The Art of Technology (2023) – 8’ – Purchase at Gontier Publishing

Tom Gontier (Belgium, 1992)

The suite “The Art of Technology” takes the listener on a journey through four contrasting movements through the wondrous world of our contemporary technology. This composition is structured around a single musical theme per movement, to which new musical elements are constantly added. The work opens with “March of the Algorithmics.” An elegant and grandiose march theme is introduced in pianissimo and rapidly develops in tempo and dynamics. The second movement, “The Engine’s Chorale,” is structured as a slow movement in which imitation and counterpoint go hand in hand. It offers a moment of reflection in contrast to the other movements. “Dataflow’s Divertimento,” the third movement, is a sketchy divertimento that presents the band with the necessary rhythmic and ensemble challenges. Gontier concludes this suite with “Down to Silicon Valley.” Structured in a ritornello form, it is brimming with joie de vivre, yet with a touch of sarcasm here and there.

Born in the Belgian 1992, the composer Tom Gontier swiftly became musically immersed. His passion for music and composing pushed him to pursue a musical career, which led him to obtain a masters degree in music at the Royal Conservatory in Antwerp in 2016.

As a professional musician he has performed as a trumpeter with some of the most prestigious orchestras in Belgium. His career allowed him to travel around the world, and after a commission in Norway he fell in love with the country and moved to Ålesund, towards the end of 2016. Gontier dreamed of composing his own works and in Norway he started his own company Gontier Publishing. Allowing him to continue his work as a professional musician whilst creating his own compositions.

The Art of Technology got a honorary mention at WASBE’s International Composition Contest 2024 and was selected as test-piece for Belgian Wind Band Championships 2025 as well as Dutch Open Wind Band Championships 2026.

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Grade 2

Impressions of Caucasus (2022) – 6'40" – Purchase at Tierolff

Amir Molookpour(Iran,1978 )

"Impressions of Caucasus" is a short suite in 3 movements inspired by the folk music of the Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia). This piece is dedicated to 3 great musicians and composers from that region: The first movement is inspired by the music of Fikret Amirov one of the greatest composers of Azerbaijan and at the very beginning one can hear the reference to his music. The second movement is inspired by the folk music of Armenia and is dedicated to Komitas; an Armenian priest-musicologist and composer. He is considered the founder of the Armenian national school of music. The third movement is inspired by the folk songs of Georgia and especially the songs of Georgia's most famous singer Hamlet Gonashvili.

Amir Molookpour began to study traditional Persian music at the age of nine. After a few years he taught himself the traditions of Western art music, and since 1994 has studied with Hassan Riahi, the composer of the most recent Iranian national anthem. Since 1995 he has collaborated with the Iranian Radio and Television Orchestra as a composer and arranger, writing several pieces for symphonic and chamber orchestra

He was one of the co-founders of the Association of Young Iranians Composers. In 2001 he moved to Italy to study musicology at the University of Pavia (in Cremona).

In 2014 he wrote The Land of Zarathustra, which was selected as the test piece for the WMC Kerkrade in 2017. His Six Persian Dances, The Land of Zarathustra, and The Ruins of Palmyra have been recorded by The Royal Band of the Belgian Guides.

Impressions of Caucasus is the piece all 15 bands who perform in the Youth Division during World Music Contest Kerkrade (NL) 2026 will perform as contest piece.

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Grade 4

Overture (for Carnegie Hall) (2021) – 6'25" – Purchase at World Projects Music

Carl Wittrock (Netherlands, 1966)

In this day and age, everyone has access to many different styles of music. Musical boundaries are blurring. In his piece Overture (for Carnegie Hall) Wittrock put traditional ABA form Latin American rhythms, some “spicy” chords, irregular time signatures and a melody you can remember. He combined everything into an energetic piece for wind band. The pieces is a joy for bands to play and study, for audience to listen to. It needs a good feeling for rhythm, style and, in the middle section a sense for timbre and phrasing.

The piece has to be performed with piano to get the most beautiful and effectful musical result. Grade 4.

Carl Wittrock was born in Goor (in the Dutch province of Overijssel) in 1966. His musical career started at the Goor music school, where he studied the violin and the clarinet. He then went on to attend the Conservatory in Enschede, graduating in Music Education (1990), Orchestral Conducting DM (1991), and Orchestral Conducting UM (1993) with Taijirō Iimori.

He has been conducting various orchestras since 1984 and teaches music at Twickel College secondary school in Hengelo.

He began creating compositions for wind orchestras in 1985. In 1989, his work ‘Antarctica’ drew the attention of music publishers, and titles such as ‘Lord Tullamore’, ‘The Legend of Flathead Lake’, and ‘Trimbeka’ found their way to orchestras both in the Netherlands and abroad. Many composition commissions followed, such as the Dutch Brass Band Competition, the Johan Willem Friso Royal Military Chapel, the 70th anniversary of Arnhem’s liberation, the Bernischer Kantonal-Musikverband, and the Dutch Institute for Wind Music.

In 2013, Wittrock was charged with the honorable task of creating a composition to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 2014, Carl Wittrock was knighted in the Order of Orange-Nassau. In 2014, he was awarded the Overijssel province’s cultural award, and in 2015, the Buma Brass Award. In 2027 Carl Wittrock will compose the test piece for the 4th division (grade 3) for the Open Dutch Wind Band Championships.

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Grade 2.5

From Shadow to Light (2025) – 7'30" – Purchase at Dutch Wind Music Publications

Anton Weeren (Netherlands, 1976)

From Shadow to Light is an expressive and narrative composition that depicts a journey from darkness to hope in four connected sections. The music begins heavy and tormented, filled with inner struggle and tension, before breaking into a fierce and determined fight for escape. A moment of reflection and calm follows, allowing space for healing and understanding, after which new strength emerges. The work concludes with a confident, hopeful march, leading to a powerful and uplifting finale. From Shadow to Light tells a compelling story of perseverance, resilience, and finding new beginnings through determination and trust. Grade 2,5.

Anton Weeren (born in 1976) grew up in Veenendaal and has lived in the Rotterdam region since 1992.

In 2001, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Trumpet from the Rotterdam Conservatory, followed by a Master’s degree in 2003 from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Additionally, he received his diploma in wind orchestra conducting in Rotterdam. In 2010, he completed his Master’s.

Over a 25-year career, he participated in numerous projects and tours worldwide.

Due to severe hearing issues in his right ear, Anton was compelled to end his career as a trumpet player and conductor prematurely. This turning point allowed him to fully embrace his lifelong passion in a new way by composition. His compositional style is both accessible and occasionally extended tonal—walking a fine line between the avant-garde and the traditional. He strives to connect deeply with both performers and audiences, aiming to offer a unique and personal experience for listeners and musicians. For Anton, connecting and communicating emotions that lie beyond words through music is an intimate privilege and honor.

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