Håkan Hardenberger is one of the world’s leading soloists, consistently recognised for his phenomenal performances and tireless innovation. Alongside his performances of the classical repertory, he is also renowned as a pioneer of significant and virtuosic new trumpet works.
Hardenberger performs with the world’s foremost orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Wiener Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker and London Symphony Orchestra. Conductors he collaborates with include Daniel Harding, Ingo Metzmacher, Andris Nelsons, Sakari Oramo, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and John Storgårds.
The works written for and championed by Hardenberger stand as key highlights in the repertory and include those by Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Brett Dean, HK Gruber, Hans Werner Henze, Betsy Jolas, Arvo Pärt, Toru Takemitsu, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Rolf Wallin.
In summer 2019 Hardenberger returns to the Tanglewood Music Festival with Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons and to the BBC Proms with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Markus Stenz for the UK premiere of Tobias Broström’s double concerto for two trumpets with Jeroen Berwaerts. This is followed by a concert at the Musikfest Berlin with Olga Neuwirth’s concerto “Miramondo Multiplo” with BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo. With the latter he can also be heard at the Barbican in November, championing Betsy Jolas’ trumpet concerto “Onze Lieder”. Continuing his residency with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, he performs Mieczysław Weinberg’s trumpet concerto and gives HK Gruber’s concerto “Aerial” its 89thperformance since its premiere. Further highlights include his performance of the Dutch premiere of Robin Holloway’s new concerto with Het Residentie Orkest and Nicholas Collon, his return to Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with Andris Nelsons, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Berlin with Alain Altinoglu, Bamberger Symphoniker with John Storgårds as well as Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg with Daniel Harding. Hardenberger embarks on his residency with the Seoul Philharmonic in 2020, and appears in a podium swap with HK Gruber with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He also returns to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in concert as well as curating their Metropolis Festival for contemporary music.
Conducting is an integral part of Hardenberger’s music making. In 2019/20 he conducts the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Seoul Philharmonic, Malmo Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Duo partnerships include pianist Roland Pöntinen and percussionist Colin Currie, with whom he released a duo recording featuring duo works by composers such as Brett Dean and André Jolivet.
To add to his prolific discography on the Philips, EMI, Deutsche Grammophon and BIS labels, Hardenberger anticipates the release of a concerto recording including Sally Beamish, Betsy Jolas and Olga Neuwirth music (BIS) as well as a recording of Peter Eötvös new version of his trumpet concerto “Jet Stream”.
From 2016 to 2018 Hardenberger was the Artistic Director of the Malmö Chamber Music Festival. Hardenberger was born in Malmö, Sweden. He began studying the trumpet at the age of eight with Bo Nilsson in Malmö and continued his studies at the Paris Conservatoire, with Pierre Thibaud, and in Los Angeles with Thomas Stevens. He is a professor at the Malmö Conservatoire.