Marc Reift composer / arranger

Marc Reift was born in Fleurier (Switzerland) on 14th August 1955, both parents being ministers in the Salvation Army. He was surrounded by music from earliest childhood. Even as a toddler, he regularly listened to Chopin, Verdi and Beethoven, and as a teenager he tried his hand at the piano, the guitar, the organ, the accordion, drums and the trombone.

He started studying at Bern Conservatoire at the age of 18, where he obtained a trombone teaching diploma and a soloist's diploma (Prof. Branimir Slokar). He later obtained a concert diploma in Cologne.

In 1977 he received the Habitzel prize, and in 1996 the Suisa Foundation Prize. He was also a prize-winner at the international competitions in Vercelli and Geneva.

He became a member of the Biel Symphony Orchestra at the age of 20, before moving to the Bern Symphony Orchestra and finally becoming first trombone in the Tonhalle Opera Orchestra in Zurich, where he remained for more than 15 years, playing under many of the most illustrious conductors of the time. During this period he taught many trombone pupils and wrote several tutors. He toured more than 30 different countries with various ensembles, such as pop groups, big bands and particularly the Slokar Trombone Quartet.

In 1983 he founded his own publishing company which now has more than 40,000 titles in its catalogue, as well as the CD production company Marcophon.

He has conducted and recorded more than 4000 pieces with the London Wind Orchestra, the Philharmonic Wind Orchestra, The Williams Fairey Brass Band, the Prague Festival Strings, the Prague Pops Orchestra, the Prague Festival Orchestra as well as with his own orchestra, the Marc Reift Orchestra.

Marc's motto is: "Enjoy yourself, and you will make other people enjoy themselves too".