Main Band

The Main Band is the music club’s large orchestra. Around 38 musicians play together here — at home in symphonic and traditional wind band music alike. We give two concerts a year – the spring concert in the Gemeindehalle and the church concert in the Marienkirche – and play at around three festivals.

Achievements

For many years the Main Band has taken part in adjudicated concerts in the upper grade, with very good results. In 2006 the orchestra won the Baden-Württemberg state title in the upper grade in Villingen-Schwenningen. In 2007 it came second in the international CISM competition in Würzburg, making it national runner-up in the upper grade. In 2010 it won the Baden-Württemberg state title in the upper grade once again, in Metzingen.

Conductor

Leonard Gießner has been the conductor of our music club’s Main Band since September 2024. He is currently studying for a master’s degree in school music at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart, with wind orchestra conducting as his main subject under Franco Hänle. Before that he took a bachelor’s degree in school music with the saxophone as his main subject under Ekkehard Rössle, during which he took conducting lessons with Prof. Richard Wien and Prof. Denis Rouger.

Leonard had his first piano lessons at the age of six and started playing the saxophone at ten. His lessons with Steffen Hass in particular left a lasting mark on him as a musician and as a saxophonist.

He can already look back on a busy concert life at home and abroad, including with renowned orchestras such as the Philharmonie Baden-Baden and the Landesblasorchester Baden-Württemberg. There he gained valuable experience under conductors such as Jan Cober, Heiko Mathias Förster and Björn Bus. He is also a member of the Junge Bläserphilharmonie Sachsen.

Leonard has already worked as a tutor for various wind orchestras. Making music with young musicians is particularly close to his heart: he has led the youth band of the Musikverein in Calw-Stammheim and the children’s and youth choir of the Liederkranz Holzbronn.

Alongside his work with us, he is also choir director of the mixed choir of the Liederkranz Plattenhardt.

Line-up

We are looking for new players in every section, but especially on trombone, clarinet, tuba, horn, oboe and bassoon.

38 musicians in three sections.

Rehearsal weekend