The Representative Brass Band of the National Guard Unit is a unique group in its essence. Their repertoire is extremely wide – from the incredible wealth of Bulgarian folklore in all its rhythmic richness and variety to military marches, classics, pop and jazz. It is not by chance that the Guards Brass Band bears the name representative – their professionalism and high skill are a trademark, and the musicians who make it up are constantly improving their musical skills.
The first military brass band in Bulgaria was created in 1879. From 1892 it passed to the Leibgvardei squadron. This is actually the first professional symphony orchestra – something completely new for the country.
Over the years, some of our most prominent composers and conductors – Philip Kutev, Emanuil Manolov, Atanas Ivanov, Diko Iliev, Nikola Tsonev, Zheko Dimov, Nikola Kazasov, Tsvetan Tsvetkov, Stoyan Stoyanov – have grown and developed through their work in and with this orchestra.
On February 1, 1951, by decision of the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Representative Brass Band of the Ministry of National Defense was established. By decree of the Council of Ministers from 2001, it became part of the National Guard unit.
The Representative Brass Band of the National Guard Unit has a rich and versatile concert activity. Their contributions for the aesthetic and musical education of the Bulgarian warriors are indisputable. Of course, their ceremonial functions are mandatory and therefore they are a part of every major official event in our country, but the band also has very successful participations in international festivals of military brass bands in Germany, France, Hungary, Israel and Russia, as well as special concerts programs that they present to the Bulgarian public.