The Bläserphilharmonie Aachen was founded in October 2013 to establish the first symphonic wind orchestra at a high musical level in Aachen’s orchestral landscape. It is largely recruited from the student environment, but is organised as an independent association and is open to all musicians. The ensemble differs from Aachen’s other student orchestras, such as the Aachener Studentenorchester or the Collegium Musicum, primarily in its instrumentation, which consists exclusively of woodwind and brass instruments as well as percussion, making it one of the few student wind orchestras in Germany.
Since its founding, the Bläserphilharmonie Aachen has undergone rapid development and has established itself as an important ensemble in Aachen’s cultural landscape. Every semester, the orchestra rehearses a new concert programme and puts on two concerts in Aachen. The Bläserphilharmonie Aachen has developed a distinctly modern profile and regularly presents world premieres and works by contemporary composers.
In July 2017, the Bläserphilharmonie Aachen competed for the first time at the World Music Contest (WMC) in Kerkrade, the world championship for wind orchestras, achieving a gold medal with distinction with 92.08 points. In May 2019, the orchestra was invited to the Deutsches Musikfest in Osnabrück to perform a gala concert. In the summer of 2022, the Bläserphilharmonie Aachen was invited for the first time to the Festival International de Musiques Universitaires in Belfort (France). Finally, in July 2022, the Bläserphilharmonie Aachen participated in the WMC in Kerkrade for the second time, achieving fifth place and once again a gold medal with distinction with 90.00 points.