MARION, Indiana — With one of the fullest lineups of International Class competition in recent years, 2025’s DCI International Class World Championship Finals readily celebrated the “I” in DCI.
The Stampede, a Calgary, Alberta-based ensemble, took home International Class gold against a lineup of five competitors — three from Canada and two from China at Indiana Wesleyan Unviersity on Tuesday, August 5.
View scores from the DCI Open Class World Championship Finals
“We’re all super, super proud of the achievement,” said Stampede tenor saxophonist Dylan Matwe. “Just being here in the atmosphere of Indy, the home of marching music, is awesome.”
The Stampede (1st, 76.800) is no stranger to the DCI stage, having competed at the DCI World Championships as recently as 2022.
Winners of all International Class captions at Tuesday’s event, the Stampede will now focus its efforts on upcoming DCI World Championship events in Indianapolis. The last time the ensemble performed in Indianapolis, it came within impressive striking distance of a DCI World Championship Semifinals bid.
“We’re really excited to get back into (Lucas Oil Stadium) and be with all the International groups and show off what Canada’s got and what we’re made of,” Matwe said.
A fellow Calgary ensemble, the Calgary Stetson Show Band, impressed Tuesday night earning second place with a tally of 66.875. Also from Alberta, the Calgary Round-Up Band ranked fourth with a score of 62.400 — just behind third-place Beijing High School 57 (3rd, 65.300) — helping represent a Canadian marching music hotbed with a strong performance of recognizable hit songs.
“In Calgary, we have quite an active marching community,” said Stetson Show Band drum major Ashton Conley. “So, to be able to represent that here on this big stage means a lot to us, just to show what we’re all about.”
The aforementioned High School 57, alongside High School affiliated to Beijing Institute of Technology (5th, 60.875), represented Beijing, China with impressive marching band performances.
Two performances in Marion were just the beginning for these ensembles, who traveled nearly 7,000 miles to the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University. Another 80 miles or so away lies their opportunity of a lifetime to perform at the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium.
“DCI is really a top tier, and a high level for Chinese marching bands,” said Lin Fu, the tour manager for the two Chinese ensembles. “We haven’t imagined that our students could make it, so we’re really proud of them.”
All five of these International Class participants will travel to Indianapolis for the final three days of the 2025 DCI Tour, with appearances at Lucas Oil Stadium — as well as Saturday’s SoundSport International Music & Food Festival presented by Jazz Wealth — still to come.
