A trombonist, an autumn forest and a CD cover that didn't exist yet — because the music for it was only just being written. For the portraits for Zoltán's upcoming solo album I wanted to get out of the studio, somewhere the light is softer and the setting plays along instead of just sitting behind him.
Zoltán — born in Budapest in 1980, with Mnozil Brass since 2005 and on the road with the ensemble for more than a hundred concerts a year — is one of those musicians where you quickly sense the instrument isn't work but an extension of him. He studied at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, won a string of Polish trombone competitions, and taught at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester from 2014 to 2020. On stage he plays only his own signature trombones, the "Kissbone" and the "KissboneX", developed together with Schagerl — paired with a mouthpiece that carries his name. When someone is grown together with their instrument that closely, you're not just photographing the musician but a piece of craftsmanship too.
The idea for the autumn outdoor setting came from the music itself. Zoltán was writing the programme that would later end up on the CD — warm tones, plenty of atmosphere — and that's exactly what I wanted in frame: soft light through the trees, muted colours, surroundings that feel like a resonating chamber rather than a set. Commissioned by Schagerl Music and Schagerl Records, but with the freedom not to make it look like a classic cover shoot.
My aim was to show both sides Zoltán carries into his music: the thoughtful, almost quiet moments — and the natural energy that comes through the moment he raises the instrument. A forest takes a surprising amount of that off your hands. It sets the calm without you having to stage it.
Thanks to Zoltán for the time and the trust — and to Schagerl Music and Schagerl Records for the commission and the freedom to make it more than a product shot.