Mike Svoboda: Trombone soloist with orchestra

Mike Svoboda is committed to expanding his instrument's repertoire and reaching new audiences. Having played as a soloist with Europe's leading orchestras and ensembles, he has inspired numerous composers to write concertos especially for him. Some premieres in recent years were: Canzona per sonare for alto trombone and two orchestral groups from Germany's leading composer Wolfgang Rihm, the poetic Voyage III by the Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa, the strangely beautiful Lullaby by the Czech composer Martin Smolka, the hour-long dramatic work by Peter Eötvös As I crossed the bridge of dreams and NUN by Germany's foremost avant-garde composer Helmut Lachenmann. Sandeep Bhagwati, Sidney Corbett, Christian Jost, Manuel Hidalgo, Wolfram Schürig, Bernd Thewes and Mattias Spahlinger are some more composers who have written or are writing concertos for Mike Svoboda. In addition, he has also performed the German premieres of trombone concertos by Michael Nyman and Iannis Xenakis.

His third composition for trombone and orchestra was premiered in February 2011 with the famous Stuttgart Radio Orchestra. With the rather sober title Music for Trombone and Orchestra, this music, not based on any music of the past, compliments his own 30-minute modern Carmen-Variations called Love Hurts - Carmen Remix (2003) and his 45-minute work based on music from Rossini ALIAS - Mozart aka Rossini (2005) with string orchestra.

As the trombone began to sing... "Wolfgang Rihm's Trombone Concerto is titled "Canzona per sonare" (A canzona to be sung) ... And the trombone certainly did sing, due to the tremendous artistry of the soloist Mike Svoboda (playing from memory!), whose heavenly smooth tone combined with an unsurpassed dynamic and timbral flexibility was amazing. (...) The sound language of Wolfgang Rihm impressed as much as the composer's play with rhythmic raffinesse and jazzy moments, almost giving the composition with all it's virtuosity and bravour a divertimento character." - Schwetzinger Newspaper May 2002

repertoire for trombone and orchestra or ensemble

Sandeep Bhagwati (*1963) Inside a Native Land (2003) 120'

for trombone, 8 orchestra groups, and live-electronics
flexible instrumentation
w
orld premiere: March 2003, Berlin, Germany
Ensemble Mosaik, Mike Svoboda conductor and soloist



Friedrich Cerha (*1926) Music for Trombone and Strings (2005) 20'
string orchestra and solo trombone (Dolbinger, Wien)
world premiere: November 2006, Athens, Greece

Mike Svoboda, trombone, Camerata Athen, Heinrich Schiff, conductor 
recorded on cd



Peter Eötvös (*1944) As I crossed the bridge of dreams (1999) 50'

music theater for 4 actors, alto trombone, and ensemble

1.1.0.Sax. - 0.0.0.1. - 4 perc., midi-pn.- 4.2.2.2. (Ricordi)
world premiere: October 1999, Donaueschingen, Germany

Claire Bloom, actress; Mike Svoboda, trombone Ensemble Variable, Manfred Schreier, conductor
recorded on cd

Georg Friedrich Haas (*1956) Trombone Concerto (2016) 20'
for trombone and orchestra
3.3.3.3.-4.3.3.1.-2per-hfp.acc.-strings
world premiere: October 2016 Donaueschingen, Germany
Mike Svoboda, trombone, Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alejo Perez, conductor
recorded on cd

Toshio Hosokawa (*1955) Voyage III (1997) 15´

for trombone solo and orchestra

1.1.1.1. - 1.1.1.0. - hrp., cel, 2perc. -1.1.1.1.1. (Schott)
world premiere: November 1997, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mike Svoboda, trombone, Schoenberg Ensemble, Reinbert de Leuw, conductor

Christian Jost (*1963) Dies Irae (2001) 20´

for trombone solo and orchestra

3.3.3.3. - 2.2.2.1. -hrp.-2perc. - strings (Schott)

world premiere: May 2001, Saarbrücken, Germany

Mike Svoboda, trombone, Radio Symphony Orchestra Saarbrücken, Marc Soustrot, conductor

recorded on cd


David Lang (*1957) Men (2001) 55'
for trombone and ensemble

0.basskl.enghorn.barisax.-0.0.0.0.-2 perc -pn - 0.0.0.1.1. (Schirmer)

world premiere, October, 2002)

European Music Project, Mike Svoboda, trombone and conductor

recorded on cd



Wolfgang Rihm (*1952) Canzona per sonare "Über die Linie" V (2002) 20'

for alto trombone and 2 orchestra groups

0.2Enghr.0.2cbfg.-4(2wgtb.).0.2.2.-timp.,3perc.-2hrp..-0.0.4.4.2. (UE)

world premiere: May 2002, Schwetzingen, Germany

Mike Svoboda, trombone, Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stefan Asbury, conductor

recorded on cd


Hans Schönthal (1896-1937) Maischall  (1924) 5'
for trombone and 11 instruments

2.2.2.2.-2.2.0.0.-perc- solo trombone (Kruse Verlag)
world premiere: December 2011, Chur, Switzerland

Mike Svoboda, trombone, Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden, Sebastian Tewinkel, conductor



Hans Schönthal (1896-1937) Der Hauch, der Wind, der Sturm (1913) 10'
Three Brahms Songs for trombone and string orchestra (Kruse Verlag)
world premiere: December 2011, Chur, Switzerland

Mike Svoboda, trombone, Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden, Sebastian Tewinkel, conductor

Wolfram Schurig (*1963) Battaglia (1999) 15'
for trombone and ensemble (Ariadne, Vienna)

world premiere: November 1998, Stuttgart, Germany

Mike Svoboda, trombone, Ensemble SurPlus, James Avery, conductor

Martin Smolka (*1959) Lullaby (1993) 16'

for trombone and ensemble

0.0.2.0.-0.0.0.0.-guitar-perc-1.1.1.1.1 solo trombone (Breitkopf & Härtel)

world premiere: February 1994, Stuttgart, Germany

Mike Svoboda, trombone, Ensemble SurPlus, James Avery, conductor

Marco Stroppa (*1959) Inside the needle's eye (1996-99) 30'
for trombone and ensemble

1.1.1.1. - 1.1.1.1. -2perc. - 1.1.1.1.1. (Ricordi)

German premiere: January 2001, Stuttgart

Mike Svoboda, trombone, Ensemble VARIANTI, Manfred Schreier, conductor

recorded on cd

Mike Svoboda (*1960) ALIAS - Mozart aka Rossini (2004) 45'
based on themes by G. Rossini and with a text by Manfred Weiß

for trombone solo (also narration), percussion, and string orchestra

0.0.0.0.-0.0.0.0.-Perc.-Strings (5.4.3.2.1) and tape (Kruse Verlag)


world premiere: January 2005, Pforzheim, Germany

Mike Svoboda, trombone, Southwest German Chamber Orchestra, Sebastian Tewinkel, conductor

Mike Svoboda (*1960) Love Hurts - Carmen-Remix (2003) 23'

based on themes by Georges Bizet

for orchestra and soloist
2.2.2.2. - 4.3.2.1. - timp., 2perc. - stings (Boosey & Hawkes)

world premiere: February 2003, Reutlingen, Germany


Mike Svoboda, trombone, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Sebastian Tewinkel, conductor

Mike Svoboda (*1960) Music for trombone and brass ensemble (2011) 18'
0.0.0.0. - 1.4.4.1.-0.0.0.0.0. (Boosey & Hawkes)

world premiere: January 2013, Öhringen, Ger
many

Tobias Schiessler, trombone, Hohenlohe Brass, Michael Böttcher, conductor

Mike Svoboda (*1960) Far from home (2010/2021) 25´

3.3.3.3. - 4.3.0.1. - 3perc. - stings 4 solo trombones (Boosey & Hawkes)

world premiere: February 2022, Mannheim, Germany

Mike Svoboda, Jürgen Schall, Ilja Danilov, Jonas Becker, trombones, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Mario Venzago, conductor



further repertoire on request