Fabrice MILLISCHER

Upon winning first prize in the ARD International Music Competition, Fabrice Millischer is recognised as one of the most gifted contemporary trombone players in Europe. The 28-year-old is to date the first and only winner of this challenging competition in the category of trombone.

He is well known not only among professional musicians, but also among those fond of classical music in general. Millischer started his musical education at the Conservatoire of Toulouse. Exposed to music since childhood, his love for music started with the piano, turned to the cello and ultimately to the trombone. He studied both instruments at the Conservatory of Toulouse and obtained highest marks on his graduation exams. Yet undecided between cello and trombone, he entered the CNSMD of Lyon where he took master classes on the trombone with Michel Becquet and Alain Manfrin and on the sackbut with Daniel Lassalle. At the same time, he continued his education on the cello at the CNSMD of Paris, taught by Philippe Muller, Roland Pidoux and Xavier Philips.

In 2006 Millischer formed the quartet called “Quartbone” with Aurélien Honoré, Jean-Philippe Navrez and Fabien Dornic. The “Quartbone” devoted its work to the topic of the development of the trombone from the Baroque period until the present. Fabrice Millischer is frequently on tour with such famous Baroque groups as “Le Concert de Nations” under the direction of Jordi Savall, “Sasqueboutiers” conducted by Daniel Lassalle and Jean-Pierre Canihac, and “Insula Orchestra” by Laurence Equilbey. A soloist in frequent demand, he has been invited to play with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, the State Hermitage Orchestra in St. Petersburg, the National Orchestra of the Capitol in Toulouse, the Symphony Orchestra in Cannes and the Ukrainian National Orchestra. On his tours Millischer has visited Washington, Beijing, Tokio, Seoul, Munich, Geneva and Paris (to name a few) and has participated in festivals devoted to brass instruments (e.g. the Eastern Trombone Workshop, the Epsival, the Cuivres en Dombes, the Limoux Cuivrée Spéciale).

Since 2008 Fabrice Millischer has been solo trombonist with the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Saarbrücken/Kaiserslautern. Taking a great interest in the music of our time, he has contributed to the creation of a number of works for the trombone. Many contemporary musical pieces have been composed and dedicated to Fabrice Millischer: “Trombone Concerto for Trombone and Brass Ensemble” by Jean Guillou, “Trombone Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra” by Patrick Burgan (referred to as “La chute de Lucifer”), “Libretto” by Etienne Perruchon and “L’appel sauvage” by Alain Celo. Besides winning the first prize in the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, he has also been laureate in other international competitions for the trombone: Budapest (2005) and the competition of Sacqueboute in Toulouse (2006). Since 2009 he has been an active participant in the“Déclic” Programme of the AFAA (Association française d’action artistique) which promotes young talents. Also in 2009 he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Academy of Arts and Letters.

In 2011 Millischer became the first trombonist to be awarded the first prize in the category “Revelation Instrumental Soloist” by the “Victoires de la Musique Classique.” In the same year, he was recognized by the prestigious Académie Charles-Cros (Charles Cros Academy) with its grand prize. Despite his young age, Fabrice Millischer is a highly sought Professor of Trombone. In 2008 he taught at the Conservatoire Paul Dukas in Paris and in 2009 he became Professor of Trombone at the Hochschule für Music Saar (Saarland College of Music). This made him the youngest professor for trombone in Germany. Moreover, he is regularly invited to give master classes in France and Europe as well as in other parts of the world: in Washington, Beijing, Quebec. In 2013 he was appointed Professor of Trombone at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg (Freiburg Conservatory of Music).

Fabrice Millischer is presently working with Antoine Courtois Paris and plays the Legend 420 NSBHST.