Matthias Kernstock // Portraits

Portrait photos of Matthias Kernstock, principal trumpet of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, created 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 (teacher Franz Griesler) before moving on to higher studies.
From 2012 onward, 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 Solo­trumpet of the Wiener Symphoniker.
As a versatile musician, he has substituted in many major Austrian and German orchestras (Ton­künstler-Orchester Niederösterreich, Volksoper Wien, RSO Wien, NDR Symphony Orchestra) during his early career.
He regularly gives masterclasses internationally (e.g. in Peking, Zaragoza, Lübeck) and is active in chamber music.
Matthias uses several Schagerl instruments in his work, including the Schagerl B-Trumpet “WIEN” (vergoldet), Schagerl C-Trumpet “WIEN HEAVY” (vergoldet), Schagerl C-Trumpet “WIEN 2021” (vergoldet), and Schagerl B/A Piccolo-Trumpet “BERLIN” (vergoldet).
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.