Principal Trumpet of the Vienna Symphony

Portrait photographs of Matthias Kernstock — Principal Trumpet of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra — captured for Schagerl Music.

Matthias Kernstock was born in 1992 in St. Pölten, Austria. He received his first musical impulses from his grandfather and studied at the Musikschule Wilhelmsburg under Franz Griesler before moving on to higher studies. From 2012 onwards he studied at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien (MUK) — first with Johann Plank, then with Roman Rindberger.

In 2017, after winning the audition, he became Solo Trumpet of the Wiener Symphoniker. As a versatile musician he has substituted in many major Austrian and German orchestras during his early career — including the Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich, the Volksoper Vienna, the RSO Vienna and the NDR Symphony Orchestra. He regularly gives masterclasses internationally (e.g. in Beijing, Zaragoza and Lübeck) and is active in chamber music.

Matthias plays several Schagerl instruments, including the B-Trumpet "WIEN" (gold plated), the C-Trumpet "WIEN HEAVY" (gold plated), the C-Trumpet "WIEN 2021" (gold plated) and the B/A Piccolo-Trumpet "BERLIN" (gold plated). He also participates in the development and quality control of Schagerl instruments, reflecting his interest in instrument craftsmanship.

In this portrait session, my objective was to reveal Matthias's dual identity as a technical master and expressive artist — the calm intensity before performance, the precision in his posture, and the deep connection between him and his instrument.