The new piece Short Stories by Oliver Waespi will test the brass bands of the championship section at the 2026 Eidgenössisches Musikfest in Biel (CH).

The Eidgenössisches Musikfest (Swiss Federal Music Festival) is an important part of the swiss music tradition. It takes place only every 5 years and is arguably the biggest wind and brass band festival, with close to 550 bands participating in 2026 in various sections. Further information can be found here .

Short Stories by Oliver Waespi consists of five short movements, each telling its own musical story. Each movement can also be performed independently. The focus lies entirely on the music itself—there is no program or extramusical meaning that needs to be interpreted into it. Listeners are invited to let their own inner images emerge while listening. The movement titles were in fact chosen after the music was composed and should be understood cum grano salis.

The first movement, “Lay down your tracks,” gives the ensemble the opportunity to introduce itself with powerful rhythms. In contrast, the “Serenade” foregrounds intimate, delicate, and melancholic sounds. The following “Moments fugitifs” are characterized by virtuosic music—joyful and full of life, yet also fleeting. By contrast, the fourth movement is a serene choral fantasy. Its title, “Seeland,” refers to the region around Biel and can thus be heard as a homage to the host city of the Swiss Federal Music Festival.

In the final movement, “Crash Bang Wallop!”, all restraints are finally released, and several guilty pleasures are indulged: grooves in various forms and tempi, virtuoso lines, and massive chords with which the piece thunders to its conclusion.

«Short Stories» was commissioned by the Swiss Wind Band Federation for the 35th Eidgenössisches Musikfest 2026 in Biel (CH) and is available from Beriato Editions / Hal Leonard Europe.