View source for Representative Brass Band of the National Guards Unit of Bulgaria

{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Representative Brass Band of the National Guards Unit of Bulgaria
| image = File:President Rumen Radev Welcomes His Holiness Pope Francis in Bulgaria, 2019-05-05 06.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = President [[Rumen Radev]] and [[Pope Francis]] inspecting the band in [[Sofia]], 5 May 2019.
| dates = {{Start date and years ago|df=yes|1878}}
| country = {{flag|Bulgaria}}
| branch = [[File:Logo of Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria.svg|23px]] [[Bulgarian Armed Forces]]
| type = [[Military band]]
| allegiance = [[President of Bulgaria]]
| garrison = [[Veliko Tarnovo]] (1878–1892)<br>[[Sofia]] (1892-Present)
| garrison_label=Headquarters
| command_structure=[[National Guards Unit of Bulgaria]]
| nickname=Guards Band
| patron=[[Saint George]]
| anniversaries=July 12
| commander1 = Lt.Col Radi Radev
| native_name = Гвардейски представителен духов оркестър към Националната гвардейска част на България
<!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol = [[File:War flag of Bulgaria.svg|100px]]
| identification_symbol_label = Flag of the Armed Forces
| identification_symbol_2 =
| identification_symbol_2_label =
}}
The '''Representative Brass Band of the National Guards Unit of Bulgaria''' ({{langx|bg|Гвардейски представителен духов оркестър към Националната гвардейска част на България}}) is the official representative brass band of the [[National Guards Unit of Bulgaria|National Guards Unit]] of the [[Bulgarian Armed Forces]]. Stationed in the capital of Sofia, the band works together with the National Guards Unit during events where the [[President of Bulgaria]] receives [[heads of state]] and [[heads of government|government]] at the [[Largo, Sofia|Largo]] in [[Sofia]].
== History ==
[[File:Военният духов оркестър в Орхание в началото на XX век.jpg|thumb|The band in the early 20th century.]]
It was commissioned by the Bulgarian Government in 1878, with originally 20 Czech musicians led by Josef Chochola in the band. In 1892 this orchestra was transferred to Sofia from [[Veliko Tarnovo]] and was enlisted as part of the Bulgarian Life Guards Squadron. The first ethnic Bulgarian to be appointed as the chief conductor of the band was Maestro [[Georgi Atanasov (composer)|Georgi Atanasov]].<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gh03DwAAQBAJ&dq=Georgi+Atanasov+Military+Music+School&pg=PT1505 |title = The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: Europe|isbn = 9781351544269|last1 = Rice|first1 = Timothy|last2 = Porter|first2 = James|last3 = Goertzen|first3 = Chris|date = 2017-09-25}}</ref> In 1944, after the communist coup, the band was dissolved and the remaining musicians were sent to the town of [[Breznik]]. In 1951, the band was restored as the Central Brass Band of the [[Bulgarian People's Army]]. Since its restoration, the band's musicians wore regular infantry uniforms instead of the uniform of the guards unit. The guards band was reestablished in 2001, with its former status and original name.<ref name="sofiaphilharmonic">{{cite web|url=https://sofiaphilharmonic.com/tag/гвардейски-представителен-духов-орк/|title=Гвардейски представителен духов оркестър Архиви - Софийска Филхармония|website=sofiaphilharmonic.com|accessdate=2018-09-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guards-bg.com/index.php/about-us/structure/guard-band|title=Гвардейски представителен духов оркестър|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bnr.bg/en/post/100827178/bulgarian-guards-brass-band-tradition-and-modernity|title=Bulgarian Guards Brass Band – tradition and modernity|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bnr.bg/ru/post/100827550/gvardeiskii-predstavitelynii-duhovoi-orkestr-tradicii-i-sovremennosty|title=Гвардейский представительный духовой оркестр – традиции и современность|publisher=}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sofiaphilharmonic.com/tag/гвардейски-представителен-духов-орк/|title=Home page |website=sofiaphilharmonic.com}}</ref>
== Music ==
Most of the pieces of music are performed by the band at the [[Bulgarian Armed Forces Day]] parade in [[Sofia]] or during official protocol ceremonies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bnr.bg/en/post/100196340/bulgarian-military-marches|title=Bulgarian Military Marches|publisher=}}</ref>
* Botev's March
* Great are our Soldiers (The official anthem and hymn of the Bulgarian Armed Forces)
* Son’s Duty
* One Legacy
* Near the Bosphorous
* Dobrudzha region
* We are to be victorious
* Festive Sofia
== List of conductors ==
[[File:Radi Radev.jpeg|thumb|Radi Radev]]
* Josef Chochola (1878–1895)
* Emanuil Manolov (1895–1914)
* [[Georgi Atanasov (composer)|Georgi Atanasov]] (1914–1920; 1923–1926)
* Nikola Tsonev (?)
== See also ==
* [[Representative Central Band of the Romanian Army]]
* [[Ottoman military band]]
* [[Serbian Guards Unit Band]]
* [[Military Band of Athens]]
== References ==
<references />
== External links ==
{{commons category|National Guards Unit of Bulgaria band}}
* [http://www.guards-bg.com/ National Guards Unit official page] {{in lang|bg}}
* [http://www.president.bg/cat75/Nacionalna-gvardeiska-chast/&lang=en Official site] of National Guards Unit.
* [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nYp627kZDR4 A 1988 concert of the band] in the [[Sofia Central Music Hall]].
* [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r_PMPH6KRrw БНТ Н3Dеля х3 6 mai 2012 Велик е нашият войник]
* [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN_vz8ID6Uw Концерт на Гвардейски Оркестър]
[[Category:Military bands]]
[[Category:National symbols of Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1878]]