Mike Svoboda
Short biography
Mike Svoboda is one of the most original and versatile musical personalities of our time. As a composer, conductor, and trombonist, he is known for his refreshingly unconventional compositions and innovative concert programs. With over 40 years of experience as an interpreter, Svoboda has collaborated with leading contemporary composers and premiered numerous works as a trombonist.
His 2024/25 season includes a residency at the Schwetzingen SWR Festival, where his opera Adam and Eve will premiere. The Austrian premiere follows in 2025/26, along with two new works for the Basel Chamber Orchestra and the SWR Vokalensemble. In May 2026, his solo show Abgeblasen will mark his farewell to the trombone.
Svoboda’s compositions blend jazz, improvisation, and minimalism with an experimental sonic language. His works engage audiences through humor and sophistication, as seen in Once Around the World (2017) and The Incredible Spotz (2007), appealing to listeners of all ages.
Born in 1960 on the Pacific island of Guam, Svoboda studied composition and conducting in Illinois before working closely with Karlheinz Stockhausen from 1984 to 1996. He has been recognized with awards such as the Schneider-Schott Music Prize (2000) and the German Record Critics' Prize (2005). His works are published by Boosey & Hawkes, and his artistic legacy is documented through numerous recordings.
Long biography
“Music must surprise, challenge, and touch—that is precisely my goal,” says Mike Svoboda. The composer and conductor is one of the most original musical personalities of our time. Known for his versatile and refreshingly unconventional compositions, he creates innovative concert programs built on more than 40 years of experience as an interpreter. As the leading trombonist of his generation, Svoboda has collaborated with many of the most important composers of our time, premiering countless works. With an unerring instinct for both entertainment and artistic excellence, he connects directly with audiences through his compositions and performances. His communicative talent and celebrated entertainer qualities allow him to bridge the gap between stage and auditorium effortlessly.
In the 2024/25 season, Svoboda will serve as a resident artist at the Schwetzingen SWR Festival, where his latest opera, Adam and Eve, with a libretto by Anne-May Krüger, will premiere. He will act as musical director, with the hr-Sinfonieorchester performing under the direction of Andrea Moses. Additionally, he will present his chamber oratorio Die Bücher der Zeiten (2010), based on texts by Friedrich Hölderlin, alongside performances with the Mike Svoboda Quartet and 14 Versuche, Wagner lieben zu lernen, a critical yet humorous take on music history characteristic of his style.
As both composer and conductor, Svoboda reaches a broad audience, exemplified by his acclaimed piece Once Around the World (2017). This hour-long musical journey, featuring a narrator, gramophone, animated film, and live musicians, immerses listeners in diverse global sounds. Svoboda has performed this piece as both speaker and conductor with ensembles such as the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic, the Bochum Symphony Orchestra, the German State Philharmonic of Rhineland-Palatinate, and the Coburg Philharmonic Orchestra. His music-theater works Erwin, das Naturtalent (2005/07) and Der unglaubliche Spotz (2007) engage audiences of all ages, proving that wit and entertainment can coexist with a sophisticated contemporary musical language.
Looking ahead to the 2025/26 season, highlights include the Austrian premiere of Adam and Eve at the Landestheater Linz in November 2025, a performance of Once Around the World with the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt, and two world premieres of his own works: a commissioned piece for the Basel Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Svoboda in March 2026, and a new composition for the SWR Vokalensemble in July 2026. Additionally, his solo show Abgeblasen (Cancelled)—his farewell to the trombone—will premiere in May 2026.
Critics praise the versatility and complexity of Svoboda's compositions. His music sometimes reflects the avant-garde, experimental style of Helmut Lachenmann, while at other times embracing the accessibility of Andrew Lloyd Webber. He blends jazz and improvisation with the rhythmic intensity of minimal music, yet his work is always rooted in the structural seriousness of Karlheinz Stockhausen, with whom he collaborated for twelve years. Above all, Svoboda seeks to engage and entertain his listeners, continually reinventing himself to surprise audiences with his originality.
Notable works from recent years include Wittgenstein & Twombly (2018) for alto saxophone and orchestra, Growth II - Snare Drum Concerto for Yoko Ono (2020) for violin, saxophone, accordion, and percussion, Far from Home (2010/21) for four trombones and orchestra, and Play (2021), an orchestral work in which musicians perform independently without a conductor. These compositions showcase Svoboda as an inventive experimenter, capable of creating music that resonates both intellectually and emotionally. His works have been commissioned by organizations such as Südwestrundfunk (SWR), the Nationaltheater Mannheim, the state theaters of Stuttgart and Hannover, the Kölner Philharmonie, and the Lucerne Festival. He has served as artist or composer in residence at institutions including the Mishima Contemporary Music Days in Japan (2023), the Zeitgenossen Festival in Heidenheim (2015), the Niedersächsische Musiktage (2010), the Theater Chemnitz (2009/10), the Festival Mouvement of the Saarländischer Rundfunk (2007), and the Sommerliche Musiktage Hitzacker (2006).
Born on the Pacific island of Guam in 1960, Svoboda grew up in Chicago and studied composition and conducting at the University of Illinois. In 1982, he won the BMI Young Composers Award, using the prize money to move to Europe. His collaboration with Karlheinz Stockhausen, beginning in 1984 and lasting until 1996, had a profound impact on his artistic development. As a trombonist, he has performed with major orchestras including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the West German Radio Orchestra, the Southwest German Radio Orchestra, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Ensemble Modern, the Schönberg Ensemble, and the Klangforum Wien. He has worked with leading composers such as Peter Eötvös, Helmut Lachenmann, Toshio Hosokawa, Wolfgang Rihm, Heinz Holliger, Martin Smolka, Georg Friedrich Haas, and Frank Zappa.
Mike Svoboda has received numerous awards for his work, including the Schneider-Schott Music Prize (2000), the German Record Critics' Prize (2005), and the Praetorius Music Prize for Music Innovation (2008). Many of his compositions and performances are documented on recordings, primarily released by the WERGO label. His compositions are published by Boosey & Hawkes.
Medium length biography
Mike Svoboda is one of the most original and versatile musical personalities of our time. As a composer, conductor, and trombonist, he is known for his refreshingly unconventional compositions and innovative concert programs. His work seamlessly blends high artistic standards with a deep understanding of music's entertainment value. With over 40 years of experience as an interpreter, he has collaborated with leading contemporary composers and premiered countless works. His communicative talents allow him to bridge the gap between stage and audience effortlessly.
In the 2024–25 season, Svoboda will be a resident artist at the Schwetzingen SWR Festival, where his opera Adam und Eva will receive its world premiere. He will also present his chamber oratorio Die Bücher der Zeiten and his quartet program 14 Versuche, Wagner lieben zu lernen. The 2025–26 season will bring further milestones, including the Austrian premiere of Adam und Eva in Linz and two world premieres: a commission for the Basel Chamber Orchestra and a new work for the SWR Vokalensemble. In May 2026, his solo show Abgeblasen will premiere, marking his personal farewell to the trombone.
Svoboda's compositions merge jazz elements, improvisation, and minimal music with a structure-oriented experimental sound. His focus remains on engaging and entertaining the listener. Notable works include Once Around the World (2017), a musical journey combining narration, gramophone, animated film, and musicians, as well as the music theater pieces Erwin, das Naturtalent (2005/07) and Der unglaubliche Spotz (2007), both designed to appeal to audiences of all ages through humor and sophisticated musical language.
Recent important compositions include Wittgenstein & Twombly (2018), Growth II (2020), and Play (2021). His works have been commissioned by institutions such as the Stuttgart and Hannover State Theaters and the Lucerne Festival.
Born on the Pacific island of Guam in 1960, Svoboda grew up in Chicago and studied composition and conducting in Illinois. From 1984 to 1996, he worked closely with Karlheinz Stockhausen, shaping his artistic approach.
Svoboda has received numerous awards, including the Schneider-Schott Music Prize (2000) and the German Record Critics' Prize (2005). His works are published by Boosey & Hawkes, and his extensive discography documents his creative output.
Short statement
Mike Svoboda is a boundary-pushing composer, conductor, and trombonist whose innovative works blend jazz, minimalism, and experimental sounds. With over 40 years of experience, he captivates audiences with his unconventional compositions and engaging performances. A former collaborator of Karlheinz Stockhausen, his music challenges, surprises, and entertains, leaving a lasting impact on contemporary music.
