Trio of young Scots to join European Youth Brass Band in Sweden

This is the trio of young Scottish intrumentalists who will be joining fellow musicians from across the continent to play with the European Youth Brass Band in Sweden in May.

Pictured from left, soprano player Gregor Koziel, cornetist Calum Blair and bass trombonist Mark Gammon will represent their country with pride during the European Braass Band Festival in Malmö.

Gregor started playing cornet at the Tullis Russell Mills Band before moving to soprano cornet in 2018. He is currently in his 2nd year studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and currently plays with Coalburn Silver.

Calum started playing cornet in Barrhead Burgh Band, before moving to the principal chair of Coalburn Silver Band in 2015. He studied trumpet at the Royal College of Music, graduating in 2021, and is currently studying for a Masters degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

He has enjoyed guest appearances at the Europeans in Birmingham with the cooperative band and at the British Open with Kingdom Brass.

Mark began playing trombone with Riverside Youth Band in 2013 and still supports and plays with the band today. In  2018 he joined Brass Sounds Inverclyde and has since played with Renfrew Burgh and Johnstone and is now bass trombonist with Kirkintilloch Kelvin Brass.

A long standing member of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland and a former member of the West of Scotland Schools Wind Orchestra, under the baton of the late Nigel Boddice MBE, he has also played with West of Scotland Symphony Orchestra.

Mark studied at the Junior Conservatoire of Scotland and currently studies at the Royal Conservatoire. “We are all excited and proud to represent NYBBS this year in Malmö and are looking forward to playing with the European Youth Brass Band," he added.