Jazz pianist, arranger, and composer Konrad Koselleck may seem like an unusual figure with his big band, but he’s certainly bringing a fresh perspective to Bruckner’s music. Bruckner in a jazzy outfit? Undoubtedly. However, Konrad Koselleck states that he doesn’t want to do better than the composer and shows respect for the ideas and notes in Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony. It’s a surprising take on Bruckner with a big band that has more than earned its place in the spotlight.

The simple answer is: why not? Bruckner himself was a great improviser on the organ. He was even more famous as an organist than as a composer in his time. By 1881, the year Bruckner completed his Sixth Symphony, he was considered an important symphonic composer. At that time, he had the confidence to complete the Sixth Symphony in one go and not revise it further. Despite this, only the extremely lyrical second movement and the intriguing Scherzo were performed during his lifetime. The complete premiere of the symphony only took place in February 1899 in Vienna, conducted by Gustav Mahler, who took the liberty of adjusting the orchestration and shortening the symphony.

Konrad Koselleck finds it important, when approaching or adapting a composition, to not aim to do better than the composer, but to show respect for the original material. He has previously re-composed Ravel’s left-hand piano concerto for saxophone for Ties Miedema, who had a temporary disability in his right arm. Duke Ellington’s approach to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker also serves as a model for Konrad Koselleck. Bruckner is new to Konrad Koselleck; he is diving into the “Bruckner’s Boldest” (a nickname for the Sixth) and has his swirling Big Band in mind for this composition. Top trombonist Bastiaan Woltjer will assist Konrad Koselleck in this very unconventional process for everyone involved.

Bastiaan Woltjer is composing alongside Konrad Koselleck on this Bruckner 6-inspired piece. Bastiaan Woltjer studied trombone in Amsterdam and has played in the Konrad Koselleck Big Band since its founding in 2004. He mainly composes for music theater, for both young and old audiences, often incorporating samples and electronics. Since 2016, Bastiaan Woltjer has worked as a composer and musical director for Muziektheatergroep De Veenfabriek in Leiden. For them, he wrote the work Maria, Maria Maria, where he arranged medieval pilgrim songs. He has also written numerous pieces for other groups, including an opera for toddlers called Het Boompje (The Little Tree). For the opening of the annual Kindermuziekweek, he composed Het Sterrenorkest, a piece that has been performed several times by 100 children together with musicians from the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

Naturally, Bastiaan Woltjer will also play trombone in Six Steps to Jazz, where he will feature (reworked) samples of Bruckner’s original symphony throughout the performance.