On March 18, the trumpet player Håkan Hardenberger celebrated his 60th birthday with a concert with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, where he performed Brett Dean’s trumpet concerto “Dramatis personae,” and smiled gamely (and sipped champagne) through an encore rendition of the theme from “Superman” in his honor. (Disclosure: As with my recent interview with Daniel Harding, the orchestra covered my flights and hotel for the trip.) I spoke with Hardenberger about the long shadow of Miles Davis, the decline of the recording industry, and why musicians treat him differently when he’s playing than when he’s conducting.
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