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 (a part of Luleå University of Technology).[1]
He earned a licentiate degree in performing arts at Luleå University of Technology 2012. He teaches composition at Piteå School of Music since 2015.[4]
Life and career
From the early 2000 Högberg has worked mainly with works that contains multimedia, like the music film Brassbones – a brass western (2001)[5] and the concertos Ice Concerto (2012)[6] and The Accordion King (2014).[6]
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.[7][8][9]
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.[10] He was charged with environmental crimes, which were later dropped.[11][12] 2016 he wrote the music (in collaboration with singer/songwriter Nicolai Dunger) for the critically acclaimed opera Stilla min eld, inspired by the circumstances of Eva Rausings death in Belgravia, London, 2012.[13][14][15]
Högberg can be said to have embraced the instrumental theatre of the 1960s in many of his works, for example Subadobe (1992/1994), for trombone, and Baboon Concerto (2018), for bassoon and orchestra.[16]
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.[22][23] In 2014 his piano concerto Ice Concerto was nominated to the Nordic Council Music Award.[24]
List of works
Solo Instrument
Subadobe 1-4 – four pieces for solo trombone, 1992/94
Subadobe 5 – solo trombone & backstage trombone, 1994
Erotikmusik – for piano, 1995
Cloud Balloon – for Clarinet in Bb, 1996
Flight of the Dragonfly – for flute, 1996
Malin the Worker's Waltz – for accordion, 2014
Krom – for alto flute, 2017
Chamber music
Danser från Helikons källor (Dances from the sources of Helicon) – for brass quintet, 1995/2002
Hubbeli-Bubbeli – for brass quintet, 1995
John & Clint – for trombone och bass trombone, 1995
Pulsmusikk – for optional Bb- or C-instrument and drumkit, 1997
The Ballad of Kit Bones – western drama for trombone sextet, 1998
The Bubble Tune – for accordion and organ, 1998/2003
Kroum Song – for percussion ensemble, 1998
Melancholy Tango – for brass quintet, 2000
Play 'em High – western drama för trombone sextet and narrator, 2002 (Fredrik Högberg & Christian Lindberg)
Déjà Vu – for clarinet, trombone, percussion, vibraphone, double bass and piano, 2004
Dancing According To Me – for two accordion, 2006
More is More – for string quartet, 2006
Tape/multimedia
Movements of Infinity "The Aquarium concerto" – tape & live hydrophonics, 1992 (Fredrik Högberg & Niklas Breman)
Minds 'n Pictures – tape, video & soloists, 1993
Tiden snöar från trädet (Time snows from the tree) – tape, 1994
Sensualle – film music, 1995
Plastmusikk – for optional instrument in C or Bb, backtrack and optional percussion, 1995
Popmusikk – for optional Bb- or C-instrument and backtrack, 1996/99
Visible Duet – for soprano, optional Bb- or C-instrument och backtrack, 2003
Bogo Bogo – for oboe (or optional Bb- or C-instrument) and tape, 2004
Ice Piano (Ice Breaker) – two pieces for piano and backtrack, 2010
Film
Brassbones – a brass western (2001) – composer, co-director
The adventures of Kundraan – a symphonic tale in three parts based on the life and music of Christian Lindberg, 2017 (post production director & creative editor)
Works for orchestra
Concertos
Head Concerto – for trombone and symphonic wind orchestra, 1995
Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Orchestra, 1998
Concertino for Soprano Saxophone and String orchestra, 2000
The Return of Kit Bones – Trombone concerto no. 1, 2001
The Poem – Concerto for trumpet and orchestra, 2004–05
Trolltuba – Concerto for tuba and symphonic wind orchestra, 2005
Rocky Island Boat Bay – Concerto for tuba and orchestra 2006
Hitting the First Base – Concerto for double bass and string orchestra, 2008
Konzert für zwei Posaunen – for two trombones and chamber orchestra, 2008/2012
Silent Purpose – Concerto for clarinet, string orchestra, backtrack and optional video projections, 2008
Dancing with Silent Purpose – Concerto for clarinet, string orchestra and backtrack, 2010
Ice Concerto – for piano, orchestra, backtrack and video projection, 2012
The 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, 1993
Strings & Sadness – for string orchestra/quintet, 1993
Little Suite for Orchestra (dedicated to Winnie the Poh), 1993/94
Music for Strings – for string orchestra, 1998
Tre gnostiska danser (Three gnostic dances) – for orchestra, 1999/2000
The Latin Kings & Orchestra, 2000 (Fredrik Högberg; lyrics: Dogge Doggelito)
Ballet music
Higgins & Mr. Wrengengengengeng – a music tale/ballet for narrator and orchestra, 1993/2005
Subtrain Eroticism – for chamber orchestra, 1994–95
Subtrain Eroticism II – tape, percussion & trombone, 1996–97
In-Vita – tape & four singers, 1997
Excavating Ascent – tape, 1999
Standing Waves – for orchestra, 1999
Slice of Time – for percussion ensemble, 2003
Vocal music
Choir
Erotica – mixed choir, 1992
Chuang-tse och fjärilen (Chuang-tse and the butterfly) – chamber ensemble, choir & soprano, 1994
Jag är rädd, andas på mig (I am afraid, breathe on me) – choir & tape, 1995
^Högberg, F. (2008). Dancing with Silent Purpose [Recorded by Fröst, M., Australian Chamber Orchestra, Tognetti, R.]. On Dances to a Black Pipe[CD]. Location: BIS. (2011)
^Högberg, F. (2006). Rocky Island Boat Bay [Recorded by Baadsvik, Ø., Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Rondin, M.]. On 21st-Century Tuba Concertos[CD]. Location: BIS. (2008)
