Tip From The Top

By Rudolf Josel

Rudi Josel was born in Graz in 1939 and started to learn piano at the age of ten. His father played trombone and tuba in the military brass band, and Rudi liked the sound of the trombone so much that in 1952 he began to learn trombone at the Graz Conservatory with Professor Franz X. Schmid. He also studied cello with Professor Rudolf Stepnicka.

In 1957 he became a member of the Philharmonic and Opera Orchestra in Graz, and in 1964 took over the solo trombone chair of the Vienna State Opera and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

I started to study trombone and cello at the same time. I think it is very important that a brass player should also learn a string instrument, especially to profit from the phrasings of a string instrument as brass players tend to be rather stiff in interpretation and edgy in their sound.

At the age of 12 1 heard recordings of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and J J Johnson, and although I did not understand their music yet, I loved it and realized that there are lots of things you can do on the trombone. This brought me to jazz, and in later years during my studies I played six to eight hours in a jazz club, which made me find and perfect the right embouchure and also get the endurance and high notes which was a big advantage for my classical playing. Although the phrasings in jazz and classical music are different, it is possible to profit from knowledge of the other style.

For a long time I could not decide whether to continue with the classics or turn to the jazz field. Playing jazz is more fun. You can improvise and make your own music. The life of a trombone player in a symphony or opera orchestra consists mainly in waiting to play a few notes.

But then I won the audition for solo trombone in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which is the highest aim for an Austrian trombone player. I realised that it is a wonderful challenge to be a part of this orchestra, live in Vienna and in my home country. In the orchestra I found there were many important tasks for the trombone, all of which I enjoyed. As well as playing in the orchestra I could also give solo concerts, and continue to play in jazz clubs.

It is important for a trombonist to play different styles of music - jazz, rock or folk - as you get to know your instrument better, and therefore enjoy it more. Any style you play, you can make good music, and I enjoy playing all styles of music.

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ITF 2008