STOCKHOLM CHAMBER BRASS

Swedish born Urban Agnas studied at the Ingesund College of Music in Arvika, Sweden. In 1987 he became the principal trumpet with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra before moving to the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 1989 where he remained until 1992. 

Urban won prizes at the ARD-Wettbewerb in Munich in 1986 and the Radio France International Trumpet Competition in Toulon in 1987. As a soloist he has performed with orchestras such as the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and the London Mozart Players, with whom he has also recorded J. N. Hummel’s trumpet concerto on CD. Alongside his brother, Joakim Agnas, and pianist Ida Mo Urban released his own CD, ”Fingerprints 1" in 2005.

Since 2001 Urban is professor of trumpet at the prestigious Academy of Music in Cologne, Germany. Before accepting his position in Cologne he taught at the Music Academies in Stockholm, Gothenburg Ingesund and Piteå. He has taught at numerous festivals including the Blekinge International Brass Academy, Karlskrona and the European Academy for Music and Art, Montepulciano and given masterclasses across the world in Portland, Hong Kong and Oslo to name a few. Urban also brings his expertise to larger ensembles, conducting orchestras across Scandinavia and coaching the musicians of both the Stavanger Symphony and Swedish Chamber Orchestras.

Before embarking on his career in classical music Urban was the leading studio trumpeter in Sweden and worked for all of Stockholm’s studios in 1980’s. He has performed with the legendary American Singer/Songwriter Burt Bacharach and also with the Swedish singer Tommy Körberg live at the Eurovision Song Contest. When he has time away from the quintet Urban regularly performs in his Trumpet and Guitar duo, Agnas X2, with his wife Sabina. Their album, "Ahora Aquí", was released this year.

Urban Agnas is a long time Monette client, and plays on David Monettes instruments and mouthpieces.