Håkan Björkman

1983-1988 Håkan Björkman studied with John Petersen, former solo trombonist in t

he Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

1984 Soloist in ”Öppet Hus i Berwaldhallen” broadcast on Swedish Radio P2.

1986 Håkan Björkman studied in Chicago, (Frank Crisafulli and Vincent

Chikowitz, CSO) and the Interlochen School of Arts.

1987 Came second in an audition for the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra’s

solo service.

1988 Participated in the World Brass Band Championship in Brisbane,

Australia with Solna Brass. Graduated from Vasagymnasium in Arboga

after three years of economic specialization.

1989 Conscription in the Army’s Music Platoon. Entered the musician’s

program, Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. Studied with Jan

Andersson at KMH.

1990 Started freelancing in Stockholm, mostly in the Royal Stockholm

Philharmonic Orchestra.

1991 Changed teacher to Sven-Erik Eriksson at KMH. Vik at the Stockholm

Opera. Came in joint first place for the Gävle Symphony Orchestra’s

principal position. Turned down due to lack of study.

1992 Soloist in P2 in the program ”The Academy of Music presents”.

Receives the Royal Academy of Music’s highest scholarship for brass

musicians

1993 Entered the solo diploma. Received a degree in Music Pedagogy at

KMH. Also won the principal position audition for the Stockholm Wind

Orchestra. Receives the Royal Academy of Music’s scholarship for brass

musicians.

1994 USA. Course in Vermont as ”artist in residence” with Joseph Alessi,

New York Philharmonic, as a teacher and studies in San Francisco for

Mark Lawrence, and New York for Per Brevig, Metropolitan Opera.

Appeared as a soloist with the Stockholm Wind Orchestra in Launy

Grøndahl’s Concertino, which was also recorded on CD (CAPRICE

RECORDS).

1995 Diploma concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Stockholm,

played Kazimierz Serocki’s trombone concerto. Received a reward token

from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Won the audition for the

Royal Swedish Court Orchestra as a vocal leader. Scholarship from the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

1996 Again receives the Royal Swedish Academy of Music’s highest

scholarship for brass musicians.

1997 Soloist with the Östgöta Wind Symphony Orchestra in Germany and

Austria at WASBE, in Mats Larsson’s trombone concerto. Soloist with

the Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra. Joined the Philharmonic’s Brass

Ensemble. Soloist with the Bergslagen Chamber Symphony Orchestra,

Ernest Bloch and Wagenseil. Begins working with the Stockholm

Sinfonietta.

1998 Appeared for the first time with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Has

been with it since then as a vocal leader.

1999 Member of Christian Lindberg’s quartet ”Trombone Unit 2000”. Plays

the cerebellum at the introduction to “Police and Fire Games” with a

fanfare composed by himself. Soloist with the Swedish Navy Band.

Soloist with the Vasa Salvation Army band.

2000 Records CDs at BIS and “Trombone Unit 2000”.

2001 Starts teaching at Dalarö Folkhögskola.

2002 Soloist with Orkester Filialen, (Gordon Jacob).

2004 Soloist with Uppsala Sinfonietta and Swedish premiere of Johan de

Meij’s “T-Bone concerto”. Soloist with OD at their 150th anniversary in

a specially written piece by Daniel Börtz.

2005 Soloist with The Grenadier of Guards Band in London. British premiere

of Johan de Meij’s “T-Bone concerto”

Records the film score for the film “The Magic Flute” with COE.

Directors are Kenneth Branagh and Stephen Fry.

2006 Soloist with Västerås Sinfonietta (Darius Milhaud and Leopold Mozart).

Soloist with the Army Music Corps (Rimskij Korsakov, also recording).

Headhunted and invited by the Cleveland Orchestra to be the only

Scandinavian to audition for the solo trombone position. Teaches at the

Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and Ågesta Folkhögskola

(formerly Dalarö). Solo trombone in the Stockholm Brass Band where

Håkan appears as a soloist at the premiere concert.

2007 Appears in Salzburg with Andras Schiff and Thomas Zehetmayr in

Alban Berg’s Chamber Concert.

Winner of the Swedish Conductor/Soloist Prize (in the Concert Hall with

the Stockholm Sinfonietta.)

Recipient of the Royal Academy of Music scholarship from the Sten

Frykberg Memorial Fund. Appears as a soloist with the Royal Swedish

Orchestra in Leopold Mozart’s alto trombone concerto.

2008 Winner of the Christian Lindberg 2nd International Solo competition in

Valencia. Soloist with Stockholm Sinfonietta at the Final of the Swedish

Conducting Prize. Performs a fanfare composed by himself. Records a

solo CD with Stockholm Brass band and harp, ”Mandrake in the corner”.

Soloist with Stockholm Sinfonietta in Riddarhuset in L-E Larsson’s

concertino. Wins SM gold in Brass band with Stockholm Brass band and

also takes individual prize for best instrumental performance in the elite

class. Appears on SVT in the program ”Musikministeriet” with

”The flight of the bumblebe”

2009 Soloist with Söderkåren on Rhapsody in Brass, Soloist in SVT with the

Army Music Corps with ”Carnivalen i Venedig”, Performs a specially

written piece with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra at the ”International

Trombone Festival” in Aarhus, solo recital together with Christian

Lindberg, and four other solo performances during the festival. Wins

audition for the solo trombone position in the Swedish Radio Symphony

Orchestra. Appears in Alice Tully Hall with COE in Ligeti and

Stockhausen chamber concerts. Soloist at the gala concert during the

Swedish Brass Band Festival

2010 Håkan’s solo CD is positively mentioned in Frank Renton’s BBC

program “Listen to the band”. Holds clinic and solo recital in Verona,

Tenerife. Holds course weekends and appears as a soloist in Linköping

and Hässleholm. Soloist in Johan De Meij’s ”T-bone concerto” with De

Meij at the lectern. Instructor at the Aurora Chamber Music Festival.

Clinic and solo on a course in Galicia, Spain. Soloist with the Tromsø

String Orchestra in a specially written piece by Christian Lindberg, ”Ero

Arctica” for alto trombone and string orchestra. Starts in the Swedish

Radio Symphony Orchestra as a voice leader. Begins collaboration with

Yamaha to develop a new model.

2011 Soloist with the Linnaeus Quintet in March, soloist with the Nordic

Chamber Orchestra in Michael Haydn’s alto trombone concerto and Jan

Sandström’s ”Wahlberg Variations”, also broadcast on the radio.

Appeared as a soloist with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra on

the TV program ”Maestro”. Clinic at Ionian brass week in Kerkyra,

Corfu. Soloist with Tromsö Chamber Orchestra on a link together with

Brandt Attema. Piece specially written by Niels Martinssen for this

occasion. Becomes Yamaha Artist. Model from Yamaha completed.

Clinic in Barcelona with youth symphony orchestra.

2012 Clinic in Granada, Spain. Invited to the New York Philharmonic to a

udition for assistant principal trombone. Invited by Claudio Abbado and

Orchestra Mozart to participate in Bologna and Salzburg. Solo at Kalmar

Castle with pianist Mats Jansson. Records his second solo CD with Mats

Jansson. Solo in Gothenburg with GWO in Bourgeois trombone

concerto. Conducts Uppsala Blåsarsinfonietta at their autumn concert.

2013 Soloist at the music festival “Musik mellan Fjärdarna” in Hudiksvall

with, among others, Michael Haydn alto trombone concerto. Soloist with

Avesta Gospel brass in Gordon Langford’s “Rhapsody”. Teacher at brass

academy in Söndergylland, Denmark.

2014 Teaches at Danish German brass week, tours as a member with the

Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Swedish Radio Symphony

Orchestra around Europe.

2015 Soloist with the Osterbothnian Chamber Orchestra in Milhaud Concerto

d´Hiver and Leopold Mozart alto trombone concerto. RCM in London,

masterclass and teaching. Starts teaching at MDH in Västerås.

2016 Soloist at “Trombonefrossan” at Musikaliska and Stockholms

Blåsarsymfoniker in Bourgeois trombone concerto and recital. New

York, Juilliard School of Music, played with The World Trombone

Quartet (with Joe Alessi, Jörgen van Rijen and Denson Paul Pollard) at

the International Trombone Festival. Solo and masterclass in

Örnsköldsvik. Soloist in Uppsala with the Linné Quintet at their 30th

anniversary. Soloist with the wind orchestra in Arboga at their 75th

anniversary. RCM in London, masterclass. Started teaching at KMH in

Stockholm.

2017 Masterclass in Beringen, Belgium. Soloist with The Trombone Society.

Teaching in Rotterdam at “The Slide Factory”. Soloist with The New

Trombone Collective, recital with piano and soloist with Amsterdam

Brass Band. Recital with Mats Jansson in Linköping. Commissioned

work by Sven-David Sandström. Trombone concerto to be performed

with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Harding in

2019 or 2020.

2018 Soloist on New Year’s Day with mezzo-soprano and organ/piano/

harpsichord in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Arboga. Soloist with

pianist Mats Jansson in Norrköping. Solo in Linköping with Mats

Jansson. Soloist at “Svensk Musikvår” in studio 2, Radiohuset. Solo and

masterclass in Tromsö, “Arctic Trombone Festival”. Soloist with

Windcorp Brassband in Linköping at the Blues Music Festival.

Masterclass at RCM in London.

2019. Wins the job as a permanent assistant professor in trombone at KMH,

Stockholm. Soloist with the “Wind Band of the Belgian Air Force”

during the Belgian Brass Academy festival in Harelbeke. Soloist in Lille

at the Trombone Festival with the “Wind Band of the Belgian Air

Force”. Soloist with “The Central Band” in Stockholm. Soloist with

Österleds Brassband in Uppsala. Soloist with Portuguese Brass and

teaches at the Braga Trombone Festival in Portugal. Conducts the RCM

Symphonic Brass concert in London. Soloist with the “Swedish Marine

Cadet Band” with conductor Johan De Meij. Records The Magic Flute in

Baden-Baden with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Yannick

Nezet-Seguin at DG.

2020 World premiere of Sven-David Sandström’s trombone concerto and the

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of chief

conductor Daniel Harding are cancelled due to the Corona pandemic.

Many soloist assignments are postponed to the future. Online judge in a

Hungarian and a Korean solo trombone competition.

2021 All of Beethoven’s symphonies are recorded on Deutsche Grammophon

with Yannick Nezet Seguin and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Records Kurt Weill’s symphonies at BIS with the Swedish Chamber

Orchestra and conductor HK Gruber who shows interest in writing a s

olo concerto for Håkan. Soloist with Mats Jansson in Linköping. Soloist

with Göta Brass in Malmö. Judge in the Swedish Brass Band

Championship.

2022 World premiere and world premiere of Sven-David Sandström’s

trombone concerto with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and

Daniel Harding. Soloist in Bogotá with Ferdinand David’s trombone

concerto together with the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra. Tours with

the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Harding, Chamber

Orchestra of Europe and Sir Simon Rattle, Jakob Hrúša and DG

recording with Yannick Nezet-Seguin.

2023 Solo with organ in Eskilstuna with Mila Ortgies Thoor.

Chamber Orchestra of Europe Baden Baden with Yannick Nezet Seguin,

DG recording of Brahms symphonies 3 and 4. Chamber Orchestra of

Europe, Spanish tour with Daniel Harding. Tour with Robin Ticciati in

Germany. Recording with pianist Pilar Beltran in Geoffrey Gordon’s

”Vermillion”. Soloist in Oslo with the Swedish Armed Forces Music

Corps in Launy Grøndahl’s trombone concerto. Tour with the Chamber

Orchestra of Europe, Antonio Pappano in Italy, Germany and Austria.

2024 Salzburg with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Soloist with NYKO in

Uppsala in Gordon Jacob cocertino and Leopold Mozart alto trombone

concerto. The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra makes a very long

European tour with Harding

Nagoya in Japan, trombone festival. A long solo recital and course.

Soloist in Flen with wind orchestra in Rimsky Korsakov’s concert. Tours

with Sir Simon Rattle, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Greece. Baden

Baden and YNZ. Eisenstadt with Julian Rachlin and Martha Argerich.

2025 Solo in Istanbul with CRR Symphony. Solo recital with Pilar Beltran

and Feride Büyükdenktas in Aguilas, Spain.

1987 Kom tvåa i provspelning till Göteborgssymfonikernas solotjänst.

1988  Medverkade i Brassbands – VM i Australien med Solna Brass.

1989 Värnplikt i Arméns Musikpluton, kom in som på musikerlinjen, Kungliga Musikhögskolan i Stockholm. Studerade för Jan Andersson.

1990 Började att frilansa i Stockholm, mest i Filharmoniska Orkestern.

1991 Bytte lärare till Sven-Erik Eriksson. Vik på Operan i Stockholm. Kom på delad första plats till Gävle Symfoniorkesters stämledartjänst. Tackade nej p.g.a. studiehunger.

1992 Solist i P2 i programmet ”Musikhögskolan presenterar” . Får Kungliga Musikaliska Akademiens högsta stipendium för brassmusiker

1993 Kom in på solodiplom. Vann även stämledartjänstprovspelningen till Stockholms Blåsarsymfoniker. Får Kungliga Musikaliska Akademiens stipendium för brassmusiker.

1994 USA. Kurs i Vermont som ”artist in residence” med Joseph Alessi, New York Philharmonic, som lärare och studier i San Francisco för Mark Lawrence, och New York för Per Brevig, Metropolitan. Spelade som solist med Stockholms Blåsarsymfoniker, Launy Gröndahls Concertino, som även spelades in på CD (CAPRICE RECORDS).

1995 Diplomkonsert med KFO och jetonbelönad, spelade Kazimierz Serocki´s trombonekonsert. Vann provspelningen till Kungliga Hovkapellet som stämledare. Stipendium från Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien.

1996 Får återigen Kungliga Musikaliska Akademiens högsta stipendium för brassmusiker.

1997 Solist med Östgöta Blåsarsymfoniker i Österrike på WASBE. Mats Larssons trombonekonsert. Solist i Tyskland. Solist med Sundsvalls Kammarorkester. Blev med i Filharmonins Brassensemble. Gifter sig med Catrine. Solist med Bergslagens Kammarsymfoniker (Ernest Bloch och Wagenseil.). Börjar jobba med Stockholm Sinfonietta.

1998 Framträdde ffg med the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Har idag gjort 31 turnéer med dem. Har varit med sedan dess som stämledare.

1999 Medlem i Christian Lindbergs kvartett Trombone Unit 2000. Spelar näverlur på inledningen till ”Police och Fire Games” med egenkomponerad fanfar. Får en dotter, Frida. Solist med Marinens musikkår. Solist med Vasakåren.

2000 Skiva med BIS och Unit 2000.

2001 Börjar undervisa på Dalarö Folkhögskola.

2002 Solist med Orkester Filialen (Gordon Jacob). Får en dotter till, Sofia.

2004 Solist med Uppsala Sinfonietta och sverigepremiär på Johan de Meij ”T-Bone concerto”. Solist med OD på deras 150-årsjubileum i specialskrivet stycke av Daniel Börtz.

2005 Solist med The Grenadier of Guards Band i London. Brittisk premiär på Johan de Meij ”T-Bone concerto”

Spelar in filmmusiken till filmen ”Trollflöjten” med COE. Regissörer är Kenneth Branagh och Stephen Fry.

2006 Solist med Västerås Sinfonietta (Darius Milhaud och Leopold Mozart). Solist med Arméns Musikkår (Rimskij Korsakov, även skivinspelning). Headhuntad och inbjuden av the Cleveland Orchestra för att som ende skandinav provspela till solotrombonetjänsten. Undervisar på Kungliga Musikhögskolan i Stockholm och Ågesta Folkhögskola (tidigare Dalarö). Solotrombone i Stockholm Brass Band där Håkan framträder som solist på premiärkonserten.

2007 Framträder i Salzburg med Andras Schiff och Thomas Zehetmayr i Alban Bergs Kammerkonzert.
Vinnare av Svenska dirigent/solistpriset (i Konserthuset med Stockholms Sinfonietta.)
Mottagare av Kungliga Musikaliska Akademiens stipendium ur Sten Frykbergs minnesfond. Framträder som solist med Kungliga Hovkapellet i Leopold Mozart´s altbasunkonsert.

2008 Vinnare av Christian Lindberg 2nd International Solo competition i Valencia. Solist med Stockholms Sinfonietta på Finalen av Svenska Dirigentpriset. Framför en egen komponerad fanfar. Spelar in en solo CD med Stockholm Brass band och harpa, ”Mandrake in the corner”. Solist med Stockholm Sinfonietta i Riddarhuset i L-E Larssons concertino. Vinner SM guld i Brassband med Stockholm Brassband och tar även individuellt pris för bästa instrumentala insats i elitklassen. Framträder i SVT i programmet ”Musikministeriet” med ”Humlans Flykt”

2009 Solist med Söderkåren på Rhapsody in Brass, Solist i SVT med Arméns Musikkår med ”Carnivalen i Venedig”, Framför ett specialskrivet stycke med Århus Symfoniorkester på the International Trombone Festival i Århus, solo recital tillsammans med Christian Lindberg, samt fyra andra soloframträdanden under festivalen.Vinner provspelning till solotromboneplatsen i Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester. Framträder i Alice Tully Hall med COE i Ligeti och Stockhausen kammarkonserter. Solist på galakonserten under Svenska Brassbandsfestivalen i Värnamo. Inbjuden att hålla master class på Juillard School of music.

2010 Master Class i Verona, Teneriffa. Inspirationshelg och solist i Linköping och Hässleholm. Solo i Johan De Meij´s ”T-bone concerto” med De Meij på pulten. Solist med Tromsø Symfoniorkester i specialskrivet stycke för trombone och jojk.