Leif Segerstam, the conductor, is a prolific composer with 26 string quartets and 6 violin concertos, reflecting his origins as a violinist.
Composer Biography
Kazimierz Serocki, a composer featured on this album, initially started his career as a boxer before becoming a pianist and then a composer.
Composition History
Frank Martin's Ballade, which led the trombone into the modern era, was commissioned for the first-ever trombone competition at the Geneva International Music Competition in 1940.
Composition History
Jan Sandström's Trombone Concerto was conceived during discussions in Reykjavik's hot springs during the Nordic Music Days in Iceland in 1986.
Compositional Technique
Ernest Bloch's Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra was inspired by the shofar, an ancient Old Testament musical instrument shaped like a ram's horn, still used in Jewish religious services.
Performer Biography
Christian Lindberg, the trombonist on this album, is the first full-time trombone soloist in history and began playing the instrument at age 17.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The cadenza in Jan Sandström's Trombone Concerto is based on the sound of the didgeridoo, an Aboriginal instrument made from a tree branch hollowed out by termites.
