Roger Svedberg, born in Malmö in 1963, has been alternating principal in percussion at the Royal Swedish Opera since 1999.
He began studying at the Academy of Music in Malmö in 1981 with Bent Lylloff, Lennart Gruvstedt and jazz legend Ed Thigpen. At the same time, he took private lessons in harmony and improvisation.
In 1983 he won the audition for the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.
In 1984-85 he studied with Gary Burton, Ed Saindon and Victor Mendoza at the Berklee College of Music in Boston USA.
In 1987 he formed the band "good vibes" with guitarist Rolf Nilsson.
In 1992 he and some friends formed the percussion trio "RoBoJo". Later that year, the trio won first prize at the international percussion competition in Luxembourg.
In 1997-98 he studied composition with Sven-David Sandström and counterpoint with Lars-Erik Rosell at the Academy of Music in Stockholm
In 1998 "...In the valley of the shadow of death" was performed for two sopranos, soprano saxophone, trumpet and escalators.
1999 "Ceramic drums", a cross-border collaboration with the artist Johan Blomdell.
Roger's first solo album, "The Great European Songbook", with saxophonist Joakim Milder and pianist Adam Forkelid was released in 2006, a project that combines opera and jazz. This resulted in a release of "Opera meets jazz" - six solopieces for vibraphone - in 2009
In 2010, together with jazz musicians Peter Danemo, Hans Backenroth and Henrik Westerberg, he formed the group "Operajazz" and released the album "Pit Sounds" in 2011.
He also leads the group "MJQ tribute band" which pays tribute to the vibraphonist Milt Jackson.
