Banja Luka Бања Лука
—  City  —
Coat of arms
Location of Banja Luka within Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Banja Luka Location of Banja Luka
Coordinates: 44°46′N 17°11′E / 44.767°N 17.183°E / 44.767; 17.183Coordinates: 44°46′N 17°11′E / 44.767°N 17.183°E / 44.767; 17.183
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entity	Republika Srpska
Government
• Mayor	Dragoljub Davidović (SNSD)
Area
• City	1,232 km2 (476 sq mi)
Population
• City	238,353
• Density	243/km2 (630/sq mi)
• Urban	300,000 (approx.)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	78000
Area code(s)	+387 51
Website	www.banjaluka.rs.ba

Banja Luka (pronounced [bâːɲaː lǔːka]) or sometimes Banjaluka ([baɲalǔːka]), in Serbian Cyrillic Бања Лука, or Бањалука, is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative capital of the Republika Srpska entity. Traditionally it has been the center of the Bosanska Krajina region, located in the north-western part of the country. It is home of the University of Banja Luka, as well as numerous state and entity institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city lies on the Vrbas river and is well known in the countries of the Former Yugoslavia for being full of tree-lined avenues, boulevards, gardens, and parks.^[1]

Settlements of City of Banja Luka[link]

• Agino Selo • Banja Luka • Barlovci • Bastasi • Bistrica • Bočac • Borkovići • Bronzani Majdan • Cerici • Čokori • Debeljaci • Dobrnja • Dragočaj • Drakulić • Dujakovci • Goleši • Ivanjska • Jagare • Kmećani • Kola • Kola Donja • Krmine • Krupa na Vrbasu • Kuljani • Lokvari • Lusići • Ljubačevo • Melina • Motike • Obrovac • Pavići • Pavlovac • Pervan Donji • Pervan Gornji • Piskavica • Ponir • Prijakovci • Priječani • Prnjavor Mali • Radmanići • Radosavska • Ramići • Rekavice • Slavićka • Stratinska • Stričići • Subotica • Šargovac • Šimići • Šljivno • Verići • Vilusi • Zalužani • Zelenci

Geography[link]

Kastel fortress and Vrbas river.

Banja Luka covers some 96.2 km² (37.1 sq mi) of land in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the Vrbas River. The city is located at 44°47′N 17°11′E / 44.78°N 17.19°E / 44.78; 17.19. Banja Luka's downtown is at 163 m (534.78 ft) above sea level, surrounded by hills.

The source of the Vrbas River is about 90 km (56 mi) to the south. The tributary rivers Suturlija, Crkvena, and Vrbanja flow into the Vrbas at Banja Luka. Banja Luka has also a number of springs close by.

The area around Banja Luka is mostly woodland, although there are mountains a little further from the city. The city itself is built in the Banja Luka valley, which is located at the transition between high and low mountain areas. The most notable of these mountains are Manjača (1,214 meters), Čemernica (1,338 meters), and Tisovac. These are all part of the Dinaric Alps mountain range.

Climate[link]

Banja Luka has a continental climate, with harsh winters and warm summers. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of 21.3 °C (70.3 °F). The coldest month of the year is January, when temperatures average near freezing at 0.8 °C (33.4 °F).

Annual precipitation for Banja Luka is about 988 mm. Banja Luka has an average of 143 rainy days a year. Due to the city's latitude, it snows in Banja Luka almost every year. Strong winds come from the north and northeast. Sometimes southern winds which bring hot weather are also prevalent.

History[link]

Roman times[link]

The history of inhabitation of the area of Banja Luka dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort "Kastel" (Latin: Castra) in the centre of the city. The area of Banja Luka was entirely in the kingdom of Illyria and then a part of the Roman province of Illyricum, which split into provinces of Pannonia and Dalmatia of which Castra became a part.

Middle Ages[link]

Banja Luka, as part of the Kingdom of Hungary at the beginning of the 16th century, before Ottoman conquest

Slavs settled in the area in the 7th century A.D., although the exact nature of their migrations remains something of a mystery. What is known is that the name "Banja Luka" was first mentioned in a document dated 6 February 1494, by Vladislav II. The name is interpreted as "Ban's meadow", from the words ban ("a medieval dignitary"), and luka ("a valley" or "a meadow"). The identity of the ban and the meadow in question remain uncertain, and popular etymology combines the modern words banja ("bath" or "spa"), or bajna ("marvelous") and luka ("port"). A different interpretation is suggested by the Hungarian name "Lukácsbanya", i.e. "Luke's Mine", which is also the meaning of Slovak "Banja Luka". In modern usage, the name is pronounced and usually declined (u Banjaluci) as one word, and often written as such; the citizens reportedly prefer the more correct form with inflected adjective (u Banjoj Luci).^[3]

Ottoman rule[link]

Ferhadija Mosque in Banja Luka

During the Ottoman rule in Bosnia, Banja Luka was the seat of the Bosnian pashaluk, and the lords of the region built what is nowadays the main street of the city. The most prominent pasha was Ferhat-paša Sokolović, who ruled between 1566 and 1574,^[4] Like his brother, the Grand Vizier Mehmed-pasha Sokolović, Ferhat had been abducted, Islamized and recruited into Ottoman service.^[5] The Serbian Orthodox Patriarch of Peć, Makarije Sokolović, appointed by Mehmet Pasha, who with the support of the Sultan had revived the Peć patriachate, was a close relative.

Ferhat Pasha was one of the main founders of what was Banja Luka’s town core during the Ottoman rule. He built over 200 projects ranging from artisan and sales shops to wheat warehouses, baths and mosques. Among his more important constructions were the Ferhadija and Arnaudija mosques, the former, as tradition has it, erected with monies from the Austrian Auersperg family paid to buy back Herbard von Auersperg's head decapitated by Ferhat Beg after his victory at Croatian Budačka in 1575, and as ransom for the release of Herbard's son, Wolf Engelbrecht von Auersperg, who had been taken captive in that battle.^[6] During the construction of the mosques, a plumbing infrastructure was laid that served the surrounding residential areas. All this stimulated the economic and urban development of Banja Luka, which soon became one of the leading commercial and political centres in Bosnia.

In 1688, the city was burned down by the Austrian army, but it quickly recovered. Later periodic intrusions by the Austrian army stimulated military developments in Banja Luka, which made it into a strategic military centre. Orthodox churches and monasteries near Banja Luka were built in the 19th century. Also, Sephardic Jews and Trappists migrated to the city in the 19th century and contributed to the early industrialization of the region by building mills, breweries, brick factories, textile factories and other important structures.

The Trappist monastery built in the 19th century lent its name to the neighbourhood of Trapisti and has left a large legacy in the area through its famous Trappist cheese and its beer production.

In 1835 and 1836, during the Ottoman administration, numerous people from the Banja Luka Krajina emigrated to Lešnica, Lipnica and Loznica, the villages around Loznica, and to Šabac.^[7]

Austrians[link]

Banja Luka at the turn of 20th century.

For all its leadership to the region however, Banja Luka as a city was not modernized until Austro-Hungarian occupation in the late 19th century that brought westernization to Banja Luka. Railroads, schools, factories, and infrastructure appeared, and were developed, which led to a modern city.

A Roman Catholic Franciscan monastery was built in the 20th century in Banja Luka’s neighbourhood of Petrićevac, near the "Kastel" fort.

Yugoslavia[link]

After World War I, became the capital of the Vrbas Banovina, a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The provincial capital owed its rapid progress to the first Ban Svetislav Milosavljević. During that time the Banski dvor and its twin sister, the Administration building, the Serbian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, a theatre and a museum were built, the Grammar School was renovated, the Teachers College enlarged, a city bridge was also built and the park renovated. 125 elementary schools were functioning in Banja Luka in 1930. The revolutionary ideas of the time were incubated by the "Pelagić" association and the Students' Club. Banja Luka naturally became the organizational centre of anti-fascist work in the region.

World War II[link]

One part of memorial plaque with the names of the murdered Serbs 1942.

During World War II, Banja Luka was occupied by the Fascist forces of the Independent State of Croatia. Most of Banja Luka's noble Serbs and Sephardic Jewish families were deported to Croat-controlled concentration camps such as Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška. On 7 February 1942 Croatian Ustaše paramilitaries, led by a Croatian Franciscan monk, Miroslav Filipović (aka Tomislav Filipović-Majstorović) killed more than 2300 Serbs (among them 500 children)^[8] in Drakulić, Motike and Šargovac (a part of the Banja Luka municipality). The city's Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity was totally demolished by the Ustaše and also the Church of St. George in Petrićevac. The Bishop of Banja Luka Platon Jovanović was arrested 5 May, 1941 by the Ustaše, he was tortured and killed and his body was thrown into the river Vrbanja.^[9][10] The city was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans on 22 April 1945. Banja Luka was the home of many World War II heroes, such as the Vahida brothers and guerilla-fighter Osman Maglajlić. The nursing school in Banja Luka carried their names, but during the Bosnian War the names were changed by the Bosnian Serb authorities.

1969 earthquake[link]

On 26 and 27 October 1969, two devastating earthquakes (6.0 and 6.4 on the Richter scale) damaged many buildings in Banja Luka. 15 people were killed, and over a thousand injured^[11] A large building called Titanik in the centre of the town was razed to the ground, and the area was later turned into a central public square. With contributions from all over Yugoslavia, Banja Luka was repaired and rebuilt. That was a period when a large Serb population moved to the city from the surrounding villages, and from more distant areas in Herzegovina.

Bosnian War[link]

Detainees in the Manjača Camp, near Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photograph provided courtesy of the ICTY)

During the 1990s, the city underwent considerable changes when the Bosnian War broke out. Upon the declaration of Bosnian-Herzegovinian independence and the establishment of the Republika Srpska, Banja Luka became the de facto centre of the entity's politics.

The Manjača concentration camp was created on the mountain Manjača, near Banja Luka and was fully operational during the Bosnian War, which lasted from 1992 to 1995.^[12] It was founded by the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) and the authorities of the Republika Srpska and was used to confine thousands of male prisoners of Croat and Bosnian Muslim ethnicity. It is estimated that between 4,500 and 6,000 non-Serbs primarily from Sanski Most and Banja Luka passed through the camp. The Manjača camp was shut down under international pressure in late 1993 but was reopened in October 1995. When the camp was captured by the Croatian Army in 1995, some 85 corpses were discovered, associated with the killings at the camp.

An estimated 40,000 Serbs from Croatia and Muslim-dominated ares of Bosnia took refuge in Banja Luka.^[13] Nearly all of Banja Luka's Croats and Muslims were expelled during the war and all of the city's 16 mosques were destroyed.^[14] A court ruling resulted in the authorities of Banja Luka having to pay $42 million for the destruction of the mosques.^[14] However, the Banja Luka district court later overturned the ruling stating that the claims had exceeded a three-year statute of limitations.^[15] The Bosniak community vowed to appeal against the decision.^[16]

In 2001, several thousand Serb nationalists attacked a group of Muslims during a ceremony marking the reconstruction of the historic 16th-century Ferhadija mosque.^{[17][18][19][20]} There were indications of police collaboration.^[21] Fourteen Bosnian Serb nationalists were jailed for starting the riots.^[22]

Demographics[link]

Ethnic composition of settlements in Banja Luka municipality 1991. Serbs (red), Croats (blue), Muslims (green), Yugoslavs (purple), others (yellow), uninhabited (black).

Street map of the city.

It has been estimated that today's population of the municipality of Banja Luka is about 250,000.^[23] Today the population is overwhelmingly made up of Bosnian Serbs^[24] and Serb refugees from Croatia. During the war from 1992 to 1995 some 60,000 people, mostly Bosniaks and Croats, left or were forced to leave Banja Luka.^[25] Some Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats have returned to their homes but the majority of Banja Luka's pre-war inhabitants have not yet returned to their city.

^[26]

Government[link]

Dragoljub Davidović, mayor of Banja Luka

The building of the Assembly of the City of Banja Luka

Banja Luka plays an important role on different levels of Bosnia and Herzegovina's government structures. Banja Luka is the centre of the government for the Municipality of Banja Luka.

A number of entity and state institutions are seated in the city. The Republika Srpska Government and the National Assembly are based in Banja Luka. The Bosnia and Herzegovina State Agencies based in the city include the Indirect Taxation (VAT) Authority, the Deposit Insurance Agency as well as a branch of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (formerly the National Bank of Republika Srpska).

Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Serbia, the United Kingdom and the United States maintain diplomatic representation through consulates-general in Banja Luka.

Economy[link]

Government of Republika Srpska building

Although the city itself was not directly affected by the Bosnian war in the early 1990s, its economy was. For four years, Banja Luka fell behind the world in key areas such as technology, resulting in a rather stagnant economy. However, in recent years, the financial services sector has gained in importance in the city. In 2002, the trading began on the newly established Banja Luka Stock Exchange. The number of companies listed, the trading volume and the number of investors have increased significantly. A number of big companies such as Telekom Srpske, Rafinerija ulja Modriča, Banjalučka Pivara and Vitaminka are all listed on the exchange and are traded regularly. Investors, apart from those from Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia, now include a number of investment funds from the EU, and from Norway, USA, Japan and China.

A number of financial services regulators, such as the Republika Srpska Securities Commission and the RS Banking Agency are headquartered in Banja Luka. This, along with the fact that some of the major banks in Bosnia, the Deposit Insurance Agency and the Value-added tax (VAT) Authority are all based in the city, has helped Banja Luka establish itself as a major financial centre of the country.

In 1981 Banja Luka's GDP per capita was 97% of the Yugoslav average.^[27]

Culture[link]

Museum of Modern Art of Republika Srpska

Due to its long history, Banja Luka is rich in culture. There are several museums including the Museum of Bosanska Krajina, the Ethnographic Museum established in 1930, and the Museum of Modern Art of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the home of the national theatre and library, both dating from the first half of the 20th century, and of numerous other theatres.

Promenade – Gospodska street

One of the most famous cultural sites in Banja Luka is the cultural centre of "Banski Dvor" (Halls of the Ban), built in the 1930s as the residence for the Bans of the Vrbas Banovina. It is a representative building in the very centre of the city housing the National Assembly along with a concert hall, gallery, state television, and a restaurant. Most of the main cultural and political events nowadays take place in the building.

The relatively poorly preserved fortress "Kastel" is found in the city centre. This mediaeval castle is one of Banja Luka’s main attractions. Located on the left bank of the Vrbas river, it gives a specific charm to the city. During the summer, music concerts take place in the fortress.

In the city there are many Cultural Artistic Associations. The oldest is CAA "Pelagić" (founded in 1927), one of the oldest institutions of this kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[28]

Events[link]

In the summer, there are many festivals, with live bands playing at the outdoor venues. The main festivals include: Banja Luka Choir Gathering (April – May), Theater Festival "Teatar Fest" (May), International Short Film Festival "Kratkofil" (in June), Demofest in July, International Animated Film Festival (in October), The Jazz Festival "Jazzlook" (in October), The Film Festival "Dukafest" (in November), The Month of the Rock Music (in June), Banja Luka Rock Open Air, "Ex-Yu Rocks!" festival (in July), "Demofest" festival (in July), Folklore Days of Banja Luka (July – August, every Thursday), Summer on the Vrbas (in July), Banja Luka Summer Games (in August), as well as the Banja Luka Fashion Week.

Sport[link]

In 2009. Banja Luka was host of World Cup in rafting.

Banja Luka has one major football stadium and several indoor sports halls. The local handball, basketball and football teams bear the traditional name Borac (fighter). The three football teams from Banja Luka are Borac Banja Luka (2010/2011 season champions of Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina), FK BSK Banja Luka, and FK Omladinac Banja Luka (both in the First League of the Republika Srpska), and FK Naprijed Banja Luka.

The city has a long tradition of handball players and teams. RK Borac Banjaluka was the European Champion in 1976, the European Vice-Champion in 1975 and the winner of the IHF Cup in 1991.

Recently, tennis has taken on a bigger role in the city. The local tennis tournament, "Memorijal Trive Vujića", has become professional and has been awarded ATP status in 2001, with the rank of a Challenger. The Banja Luka Challenger takes place in September each year. Also, in 2006, the Davis Cup matches of the Europe/Africa Zone Group III took place in the city. Apart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the teams included Monaco, Estonia, Turkey, Lithuania, Moldova, Armenia and Andorra.

In 2005, the European Championships in Rafting were held on the Vrbas river. According to the International Rafting Federation, "The event was hugely successful and the hosts are to be praised for the exemplary manner in which they ran the event, managed the media and looked after the competitors, staff and spectators...". Many nations took part, with the Czech Republic being the most successful. In May 2009 the World Championships were held on the Vrbas and Tara rivers.

Tourism[link]

Krupa River

The natural beauties of the surrounding area guarantee the city of Banja Luka a good position in tourism. Banja Luka has a number of hotels, one of the best being Hotel Cezar Banja Luka. One of the hotels right on the Vrbas river's bank is the Marriott. The city and surrounding area boast a number of popular tourist attractions. Among the most famous are the pools, thermal springs, and spas in the region. Due to its parks and over 10 000 trees Banja Luka was once nicknamed the "Green City". The area is popular among nature lovers, while the city centre is attractive to tourists due to its historical structures and many restaurants. Other attractions of Banja Luka are the Banj Hill and a waterfall of the Vrbas river near Krupa. Rafting on the Vrbas river is currently becoming popular among the local tourists. There is fishing, rock climbing and hiking along the canyon of the Vrbas between Banja Luka and Jajce, and there is plenty of accommodation for visitors.

Transportation[link]

Banja Luka west transit road

B&H Airlines ATR 72 at Banja Luka airport preparing for the flight to Zurich, August 2010

Public transportation within Banja Luka is exclusively operated by the bus services. Over 30 bus lines connect downtown with the rest of the city and its suburbs. The oldest bus link in the city is line No 1. Taxis are also readily available.

Banja Luka International Airport (IATA: BNX, ICAO: LQBK) is located 23 km from Banja Luka. The airport is served by B&H Airlines, which operates regular flights to Zurich (four times weekly). Charter flights also operate from the airport, and the airport can be used as a back-up to Sarajevo Airport. There is also Banja Luka Zalužani Airport, which is a small airstrip.

Banja Luka is the hub of the railway services of Željeznice Republike Srpske, comprising one half of the railway network of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Services operate to most northern Bosnian towns, Zagreb (twice daily), and Belgrade. Due to the recent conflict, an outdated rail network, and a lack of carriages, services are slow and infrequent compared with neighbouring countries.

A wide range of bus services are available to most neighbouring and larger towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to regional and European destinations such as Austria, Croatia, Germany, France, Italy, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland and Slovakia.

The expressway E-661 (locally known as M-16) leads north to Croatia, existing as an expressway from Banja Luka to Laktasi and as a two-lane road from Laktasi to the Bosnian/Croatian border. This second section of the road is currently being upgraded to an expressway.

International relations[link]

Twin towns – Sister cities[link]

Banja Luka twinned with the following cities:

People[link]

• Petar Kočić, novelist
• Marijan Beneš, boxer and poet
• Anton Josipović, boxer
• Ivan Merz, blessed layman and Catholic activist
• Mustafa Nadarević, Bosnian actor, one of the most recognizable character actors in the ex-Yu region
• Neven Subotić, football player
• Milorad Karalić, handball player
• Nebojša Popović, basketball player
• Ivan Ljubičić, tennis player
• Saša Lošić, singer, composer
• Vlado Milošević, composer
• Zlatan Muslimović, football player
• Marija Šestić, singer
• Ivana Gagula Semi-finalist in Miss Earth 2007
• Nebojša Malešević, Mr Bosnia & Herzegovina (Mr World 2007 representative)
• Abid Kovačević, football player
• Nikola Pejaković, actor
• Mladen Bojinović, handball player

Gallery[link]

• 

  Integral building (left) and building of Republika Srpska Government (right).

• 

  Palace of Republika Srpska, seat of the President of Republika Srpska

• Petar Kocic Spomenik.JPG

  Monument of Petar Kočić

• 

  Krajina square

• 

  Monument of Svetislav Milosavljević.

• 

  Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

• 

  Mariastern monastery

• 

  Kastel fortress

• 

  Park Petar Kočić

• 

  Manjača Lake, located in Manjača

• 

  Vrbas River

• 

  Borik

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Banja Luka

References[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Banja Luka

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Banjaluka.

• Banja Luka City homepage
• Official Banja Luka Tourism page
• Banja Luka Tourism page

v t e Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina v t e Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska v t e Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina      Una-Sana  Central Bosnia  Posavina  Herzegovina-Neretva  Tuzla  West Herzegovina  Zenica-Doboj  Sarajevo  Bosnian Podrinje  Canton 10 v t e Districts of Bosnia and Herzegovina Brčko distrikt v t e Municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina Capital Sarajevo Municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Banovići Bihać Bosanska Krupa Bosanski Petrovac Bosansko Grahovo Bugojno Busovača Bužim Čapljina Cazin Čelić Centar, Sarajevo Čitluk Drvar Doboj East Doboj South Dobratići Domaljevac-Šamac Donji Vakuf Foča-Ustikolina Fojnica Glamoč Goražde Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Gračanica Gradačac Grude Hadžići Ilidža Ilijaš Jablanica Jajce Kakanj Kalesija Kiseljak Kladanj Ključ Konjic Kreševo Kupres Livno Ljubuški Lukavac Maglaj Mostar Neum Novi Grad, Sarajevo Novo Sarajevo Novi Travnik Odžak Olovo Orašje Pale-Prača Posušje Prozor-Rama Ravno Sanski Most Sapna Široki Brijeg Srebrenik Stari Grad, Sarajevo Stolac Teočak Tešanj Tomislavgrad Travnik Trnovo (FBiH) Tuzla Usora Vareš Velika Kladuša Visoko Vitez Vogošća Zavidovići Zenica Žepče Živinice Municipalities of Republika Srpska Berkovići Bijeljina Bileća Brod Bratunac Čajniče Čelinac Derventa Doboj Donji Žabar Foča Gacko Grad Banja Luka Grad Istočno Sarajevo Gradiška Han Pijesak Istočni Drvar Istočna Ilidža Istočni Mostar Istočni Stari Grad Istočno Novo Sarajevo Jezero Kalinovik Kneževo Kostajnica Kozarska Dubica Kotor Varoš Krupa na Uni Kupres Laktaši Ljubinje Lopare Milići Modriča Mrkonjić Grad Nevesinje Novi Grad Novo Goražde Osmaci Oštra Luka Pale Pelagićevo Petrovac Petrovo Prijedor Prnjavor Ribnik Rogatica Rudo Šamac Šekovići Šipovo Sokolac Srbac Srebrenica Teslić Trebinje Trnovo Ugljevik Višegrad Vlasenica Vukosavlje Zvornik

This article is an orphan, as few or no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; suggestions may be available. (February 2009)

Jan de Haan (born July 29, 1951 in Warns, Friesland) is a contemporary Dutch composer, conductor and musician.

Jan de Haan was born in the Frisian village of Warns, in the Netherlands, in 1951. His first inspiration came from his father, who was a great lover of wind music. At an early age, Jan de Haan was attracted to conducting. By the age of seventeen, he was already the conductor of several wind bands. From 1969 until 1973 he studied music education and trombone at the Pedagogical Academy of Music in Leeuwarden, and in 1976 he was awarded his conductor’s certificate with Henk van Lijnschooten at the Conservatory in Utrecht. Until 1994, Jan de Haan was the conductor of the well-known Dutch brass band Soli Brass. As a guest conductor, he also worked with a number of professional and amateur wind bands and ensembles. In this capacity Jan has travelled extensively throughout Western Europe, and to the USA, Iran, and Japan. Famous bands like the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, the Desford Colliery Brass Band, the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, all four Dutch military concert bands, the Frysk orkest (Frisian band), the Radio Blazersensemble (Radio Wind Ensemble) and the Dutch National Youth Fanfare Band have all been conducted by him. From 1978 until 1989, Jan de Haan also was conductor, composer and arranger for Dutch radio and television. As a programme maker he produced about 140 television music programmes. He also worked as a teacher at the Pedagogical Academy of Music in Leeuwarden for a number of years. Alongside his activities as a guest conductor, composer and international jury member, Jan de Haan was active at De Haske Publications. He founded this music publishing house in 1983, but sold his shares in the company 25 years later, in 2008, to be able to dedicate his time to composing, arranging and conducting.== Works ==

Works for brass bands[link]

• Leeuwarden Variations (Ljouwert Variaties) for flute and brass band
• 1981 Friesian Variations (Fryske Variaties)
• 1983 Partita about a theme from Johann Christian Bach
  1. Thème
  2. Variation 1
  3. Variation 2
  4. Variation 3
  5. Variation 4
• 1983 Suite 1500
• 1983 Choral Varié
• 1983 Prelude for passiontide
• 1984 Christmas Fantasy für Chor und Blasorchester
• 1984 Vijf Intradas
  1. Intrada
  2. Valerius Intrada
  3. Intrada "Louis Bourgeois"
  4. Intrada voor Kerst
  5. Intrada voor Nieuwjaar
• 1985 Pastorale - based on a Welsh folk-tune
• 1985 Sequensen
• 1986 Variaties voor fluit en harmonieorkest
• 1986 A Christmas Suite
• 1986 Contrasten influenced by the Chernobyl disaster
• 1986 Suite over Valerius-liederen
• 1987 Suite 1600 (Pezel)
• 1987 The young Amadeus
• 1993 Danses de Fantaisie
• 1993 A Discovery Fantasy
  1. Introduction
  2. Bolero
  3. Rondeau
  4. Intermezzo
  5. Finale
• 1993 Inspirations
• 1994 Harmony Festival
• 1995 Banja Luka
• 1995 Overture to new Age
• 1996 A Sunrise Impression
• 1997 Music for a Solemnity A tribute to John Williams
• 1997 Spanish Tritych
  1. Peñon de Ifach
  2. San Jaime
  3. Sierra de Bernia
• Victory

External links[link]

• Official website Jan de Haan
• Biography of Jan de Haan (French)