Mike Svoboda

“Music should surprise, challenge, and move – that is precisely my aim,” says Mike Svoboda. The composer and conductor is one of the most original musical personalities of our time. He is known for his versatile, often refreshingly unconventional compositions and innovative concert programs. His expertise is based on more than 40 years of experience as a trombonist, during which he has worked with the most important contemporary composers and premiered countless works.

In 2025, Svoboda will be a resident artist at the Schwetzingen SWR Festival, where his opera “Adam and Eve” will be premiered. In 2025/26, the Austrian premiere of “Adam and Eve” will follow, along with two new works for the Basel Chamber Orchestra and the SWR Vokalensemble.

Svoboda's music combines an experimental sound language with jazz elements and minimal music. The audience is always at the center of his work, and he aims to appeal to and entertain them. Successful pieces such as “Once Around the World” (2017) and “Erwin, das Naturtalent” (2007) are designed for young and old alike, combining humor with a sophisticated musical language.

Born in 1960 on the western Pacific island of Guam, Svoboda studied composition and conducting in Illinois. From 1984 to 1996, he worked closely with Karlheinz Stockhausen. Svoboda has received numerous honors, including the Schneider-Schott Music Prize (2000) and the German Record Critics' Prize (2005). His works are published by Boosey & Hawkes, and numerous CDs document his career.