The Gateway Brass Band Championship is an annual festival and event for brass bands and ensembles held in St. Louis, Missouri at Ritenour Auditorium.  This 700- seat hall is home to the St. Louis Brass Band and boasts numerous symphonic events throughout the year.

​The goal of the Gateway Brass Band Championship is to promote brass banding specifically and brass performance in general through a unique format of Championship Section and Open Section own choice performances.  In addition to the winning band being named Gateway Brass Band Championship Grand Champion, other awards will include Open Section Champion, second place awards in both Open and Championships Sections, and Outstanding Section awards.  If six or more bands compete in the Championship Section, a third-place trophy will be awarded.

Bands in the Championship Section will perform a 30-minute set of music of their own choice while Open Section Bands will perform a 20-minute set.  Adjudication in the Championship Section will be behind a curtain while performances in the Open Section will be in the open. A unique aspect of the Gateway Brass Band Championship is that participants in the Open Section will receive a clinic immediately following their set thus coupling education with their musical performance.  Please refer to the adjudication page to read about our outstanding judges for this event. Judges for the Championship Section will serve as clinicians for the ensembles performing in the Open Section.

We want all who would like to attend this amazing event to be able to do so and as such, admission to hear the performing ensembles at the Gateway Brass Band Championship will be complimentary.