Composer · 1795-1874
Friedrich August Belcke
Biography
Friedrich August Belcke (1795–1874) was a German trombonist and composer, and one of the instrument’s pioneering nineteenth-century virtuosos. He made his solo debut with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1815 before pursuing his career in Berlin.
Admired for the clarity, precision and range of his playing, he helped establish the trombone as a concert solo instrument. His own compositions and the works written for virtuosos of his generation contributed to the expansion of its technical and expressive repertoire.