The trumpet world is mourning the loss of one of its brightest stars. Niklas Eklund, the acclaimed Swedish trumpeter and master of the Baroque repertoire, has died at the age of 56. His death was confirmed April 15; the cause is unknown. Eklund, born in 1969 in Gothenburg, was immersed in music from the beginning. His father, Bengt Eklund, was a noted trumpeter and conductor who served as his first teacher. Niklas would go on to study at the University of Gothenburg’s School of Music and Musicology before continuing his training at the prestigious Schola Cantorum Basiliensis under the guidance of Baroque trumpet pioneer Edward H. Tarr. After five years as principal trumpet with the Basel Radio Symphony Orchestra, Eklund stepped away in 1996 to pursue a solo career—one that would quickly earn him global recognition. That same year, he won first prize at the inaugural Altenburg International Baroque Trumpet Competition in Bad Säckingen, Germany. googletag.cmd.push(function() { if($(docu...