Håkan Björkman, Principal

Håkan Björkman started playing with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in 1998 as principal trombone.

Besides his involvement in COE, Håkan is principal trombonist of The Royal Swedish Orchestra and held the same position between 1993 and 1996 in The Stockholm Symphonic Wind Orchestra. In 2010, he became principal trombone at The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Håkan is a keen chamber musician and has played with Christian Lindberg’s quartet Trombone Unit 2000, The Stockholm Sinfonietta, The Stockhom Brass Band, and the trumpet quartet The Gerdt Specialists in which he plays bass trumpet.

Håkan was born in Arboga, Sweden, in 1969. He started taking piano lessons and decided to learn the trombone as well, studying first with Folke Carlsson and John Petersen (principal trombonist of The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic). Håkan then entered Stockholm’s Royal Academy of Music where he was taught by professors Jan Andersson and Sven-Erik Eriksson. He graduated with a Medalist Solo Diploma and, through scholarships, studied in the USA with Joe Alessi, Per Brevig and Mark Lawrence.

As a soloist, Håkan has performed in Sweden, the UK, USA, Spain, Austria and Germany together with orchestras including the Royal Swedish Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Stockholm Sinfonietta, Nordic Chamber Orchestra and Stockholm Symphonic Wind Orchestra.

Over the years, Håkan has won numerous international competitions and regularly takes part in Festivals, performing solo recitals or in chamber music ensembles. Håkan currently teaches at Orebrö Music Academy and The Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm.

Projects in 2011 include presenting a new and very flexible trombone model to Yamaha in the summer, which can be used as part of a full symphony orchestra, a chamber ensemble or for solos. He also performed as a soloist in the TV show Maestro in the autumn. In October, he also played as a soloist over the internet, from Stockholm, with an orchestra in Norway, working with the technicians who also coordinate the Metropolitan Opera’s HD broadcast across the world.