Fredrik Högberg
Fredrik Karl Kristian Högberg, born 5 February 1971 in Vellinge, Sweden, is a Swedish composer and producer. He resides in the old courthouse in Nyland, Ångermanland.
Fredrik Högberg grew up in Svedala, southern Sweden, and studied at the Folk High School of Framnäs, Piteå 1987–1991. Högberg has studied composition mainly with professor Jan Sandström at Piteå School of Music.
He earned a licentiate degree in performing arts at Luleå University of Technology 2012. He teaches composition at Piteå School of Music since 2015.
Life and career
From the early 2000 Högberg has worked mainly with works that contains multimedia, like the music film Brassbones – a brass western and the concertos Ice Concerto and The Accordion King.Works like Dancing with Silent Purpose and Rocky Island Boat Bay are examples of Högberg's humorous approach to his musical creation, and his inclination to combine contemporary art music with elements of popular music.
Högberg's work is sometimes controversial; while working with the Ice Concerto Högberg shot burning pianos being dropped from 40 metres onto the ice of Ångermanälven. He was charged with environmental crimes, which were later dropped. 2016 he wrote the music for the critically acclaimed opera Stilla min eld, inspired by the circumstances of Eva Rausings death in Belgravia, London, 2012.
Högberg can be said to have embraced the instrumental theatre of the 1960s in many of his works, for example Subadobe, for trombone, and Baboon Concerto, for bassoon and orchestra.
Fredrik Högberg has collaborated with soloists as, among others, Christian Lindberg, Anders Paulsson, Jörgen Sundeqvist, Niklas Sivelöv, Øystein Baadsvik, Ole Edvard Antonsen and Martin Fröst, and many international orchestras and ensembles which has led to several acclaimed works.
Högberg's production is published by Gehrman's musikförlag, Stockholm. His trombone music is published by Edition Tarrodi.
Awards
Högberg has won numerous awards and stipends. In 2006 he received one of the biggest grant to-date given to a Swedish composer, €200,000, to develop the first virtual opera house on the internet – iOPERA. In 2014 his piano concerto Ice Concerto was nominated to the Nordic Council Music Award.List of works
Solo Instrument
Subadobe 1-4 – four pieces for solo trombone, 1992/94Subadobe 5 – solo trombone & backstage trombone, 1994Erotikmusik – for piano, 1995Cloud Balloon – for Clarinet in Bb, 1996Flight of the Dragonfly – for flute, 1996Malin the Worker's Waltz – for accordion, 2014- Krom – for alto flute, 2017
Chamber music
Danser från Helikons källor – for brass quintet, 1995/2002Hubbeli-Bubbeli – for brass quintet, 1995John & Clint – for trombone och bass trombone, 1995Pulsmusikk – for optional Bb- or C-instrument and drumkit, 1997The Ballad of Kit Bones – western drama for trombone sextet, 1998The Bubble Tune – for accordion and organ, 1998/2003Kroum Song – for percussion ensemble, 1998Melancholy Tango – for brass quintet, 2000Play 'em High – western drama för trombone sextet and narrator, 2002 Déjà Vu – for clarinet, trombone, percussion, vibraphone, double bass and piano, 2004Dancing According To Me – for two accordion, 2006More is More – for string quartet, 2006Tape/multimedia
Movements of Infinity "The Aquarium concerto" – tape & live hydrophonics, 1992 Minds 'n Pictures – tape, video & soloists, 1993Tiden snöar från trädet – tape, 1994Sensualle – film music, 1995Plastmusikk – for optional instrument in C or Bb, backtrack and optional percussion, 1995Popmusikk – for optional Bb- or C-instrument and backtrack, 1996/99Visible Duet – for soprano, optional Bb- or C-instrument och backtrack, 2003Bogo Bogo – for oboe and tape, 2004Ice Piano – two pieces for piano and backtrack, 2010Film
Brassbones – a brass western – composer, co-directorThe adventures of Kundraan – a symphonic tale in three parts based on the life and music of Christian Lindberg, 2017Works for orchestra
Concertos
Head Concerto – for trombone and symphonic wind orchestra, 1995Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Orchestra, 1998Concertino for Soprano Saxophone and String orchestra, 2000The Return of Kit Bones – Trombone concerto no. 1, 2001The Poem – Concerto for trumpet and orchestra, 2004–05Trolltuba – Concerto for tuba and symphonic wind orchestra, 2005Rocky Island Boat Bay – Concerto for tuba and orchestra 2006Hitting the First Base – Concerto for double bass and string orchestra, 2008Konzert für zwei Posaunen – for two trombones and chamber orchestra, 2008/2012Silent Purpose – Concerto for clarinet, string orchestra, backtrack and optional video projections, 2008Dancing with Silent Purpose – Concerto for clarinet, string orchestra and backtrack, 2010Ice Concerto – for piano, orchestra, backtrack and video projection, 2012The Accordion King – Concerto for accordion, orchestra and video projection, 2014- Absent Illusions – Concerto for violin, orchestra and video projection, 2017
- Baboon Concerto – Concerto for bassoon and orchestra, 2018
Orchestra
Chords 'n Anger – for orchestra, 1993Strings & Sadness – for string orchestra/quintet, 1993Little Suite for Orchestra, 1993/94Music for Strings – for string orchestra, 1998Tre gnostiska danser – for orchestra, 1999/2000The Latin Kings & Orchestra, 2000Ballet music
Higgins & Mr. Wrengengengengeng – a music tale/ballet for narrator and orchestra, 1993/2005Subtrain Eroticism – for chamber orchestra, 1994–95Subtrain Eroticism II – tape, percussion & trombone, 1996–97In-Vita – tape & four singers, 1997Excavating Ascent – tape, 1999Standing Waves – for orchestra, 1999Slice of Time – for percussion ensemble, 2003Vocal music
Choir
Erotica – mixed choir, 1992Chuang-tse och fjärilen – chamber ensemble, choir & soprano, 1994Jag är rädd, andas på mig – choir & tape, 1995Barents Hymn – choir & wind orchestra, 1998Svenskt Mantra – choir & tape, 2002- The Fisherman – for 16-part vocal ensemble, 2014