Professional conductor
Alexander Hanson was born in 1974 in Södertälje. He is raised within the Salvation Army and started playing the cornet in the Södertälje Band of the Salvation Army at an early age. Eventually he succeeded his father Torgny as bandmaster for this band – a position he held for six years.

Alexander Hanson started his professional musical career as trumpet player, educated at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, but soon took interest in the art of conducting. He began his academic conducting education at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm in 2000, but soon transferred to the world famous Sibelius Academy in Helsinki where he studied under Professor Leif Segerstam. Also, Jorma Panula and Atso Almila has been one of Alexander Hansons teachers outside the Sibelius Academy. Alexander Hanson concluded his conducting education in October 2004 by performing among other items Edvard Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.

Today he works frequently with ensembles like Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Opera Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Dala Sinfoniettan, Västerås Sinfonietta and Nordic Chamber Orchestra. His opera engagements also included several productions - Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte”and Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” and Donizetti’s “L'Elisir d'Amore”.

Alexander Hanson has during his career cooperated with prominent soloists like Christian Lindberg, Henning Kraggerud, Torleif Thedéen, Martin Fröst, Nils Landgren, Anders Paulsson, Martin Sturfält, Martina Dike, Anna Larsson, Sara Trobäck, Claes Gunnarsson, Kroumata, Per Enokson, Lill Lindfors, Vilde Frang Bjærke, Karl-Magnus Fredriksson, Stefan Schulz and Michel Becquet

From January 2005 Alexander Hanson is the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the famous Göteborg Wind Orchestra.

Resident Conductor
Andreas Kratz was born in Tranås 1979. He is raised within the Salvation Army and started playing the baritone in the Tranås Band of the Salvation Army at an early age under his father Torbjörn.

1997-2001, Andreas studied trombone at the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg, where he studied with Professor Ingemar Roos. Since 2004 Andreas works as a Tenor / Bass trombonist at the Gothenburg Opera House. Andreas is a former member of Gothenburg Brass Band 1997-2003 and together with his best friend Anders Hellman he is one of the founders of Windcorp Brass Band.

Andreas has always been interested in the art of conducting and he has undertook conducting studies with Mr. Alexander Hanson & Professor David King. In the past years he has frequently been invited as guest conductor with several brass bands and wind bands. Since 2009 he works as an teachear in ensemble and chambermusic at the Academy of Music in Drama,Gothenburg. Andreas did his first appearance with Windcorp Brassband at the Swedish Nationals 2007, a competition the band won for their first time.

From August 2004-2008 Andreas was the Principal Conductor of Betlehemskyrkans Brass Band.

In July 2009 Andreas was invited to play solotrombone with Fodens Richardson Band at The English Nationals in Preston and with Grimethorpe Colliery Band at British Open 2011.

Principal Guest Conductor
Garry Cutt has developed a reputation as one of the banding world’s most successful conductors.

His 17-year relationship with the Marple Band resulted in many of Garry’s early contest successes, the pinnacle of which being their British Open victory of 1996. This was Garry’s second ‘Open’ title, having previously won with Kennedy’s Swinton Band in 1989, becoming the youngest winning conductor in the contest’s entire history and the very first recipient of The Mortimer Maestro Award.

He became Musical Director to the Grimethorpe Colliery Band in 1991, a position he held for twelve years. The impact of the film ‘Brassed Off’ resulted in Garry leading the band on several sell-out tours, most notably to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and, in April 2003, Garry and the band made their debut in New York’s Carnegie Hall!

Regarded as the ‘Kings of Entertainment’, Garry and Grimethorpe notched up six victories at the Brass in Concert competition.

In 2003, Garry was awarded the Iles Medal by The Worshipful Company of Musicians for his services brass bands.

From 2000 to 2005 Garry was proud to take on the role of Associate Conductor to the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, working closely with his mentor, Elgar Howarth.

In September 2004, the history books of the famous Fodens Band were dramatically rewritten when Garry led them to their first British Open victory since 1964 – securing his third Mortimer Maestro Award in the process! Garry went on to become the permanent Professional Conductor of the Fodens Band in January 2005 and together they have continued to flourish as one of the most successful partnerships in banding – having won a hat-trick of North West Area contests, the All England Masters International Championships and the inaugural English National Brass Band Championships. Garry led the Fodens Band to another British Open Victory in September 2008 to claim his fourth win at the competition.

He is very much in demand as a guest conductor – having visited countries such as Australia, the USA, Japan, Denmark, Norway, Holland and Sweden in recent years.