Wenzel Fuchs

Univ.-Prof. for Clarinet⋅Department Brass, Wind & Percussion Studies

Since 2015, Wenzel Fuchs has been a professor at the Mozarteum University; he also teaches at the Orchestra Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, was a professor at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin in 2008-2012, and holds a visiting professorship at Geidai University in Tokyo and an honorary professorship at the Shanghai Conservatory; he also gives master classes worldwide.

Born in Innsbruck, he already played the clarinet as a child in various brass bands. After his first studies in Kitzbühel and Innsbruck with Walter Kefer, he went to the Vienna Academy of Music, where he continued his studies with Peter Schmidl. He graduated with unanimous distinction at the diploma examination; he also received the appreciation award of the Ministry of Science and Art and won several prizes at "Jugend musiziert".

Already during his studies he played as a guest in all the major Viennese orchestras. He began his professional career at the age of just 19 as principal clarinetist in the Vienna Volksoper Orchestra, then moved to the ORF Symphony Orchestra and in 1993 to the Berliner Philharmoniker, where he has been principal clarinet ever since.

In addition to his work in the orchestra, Wenzel Fuchs is active as a soloist and chamber musician. He has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Tokyo Philharmonic, the China National Symphony Orchestra, the Korean Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic. His chamber music partners include Yefim Bronfman, Emmanuel Pahud, András Schiff, Albrecht Mayer, Mitsuko Uchida and David Geringas. Fuchs is a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble, the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Soloists, the Berlin Philharmonic Octet and the Vienna-Berlin Chamber Ensemble.

He also teaches at the Berliner Philharmoniker's Orchestra Academy, was a professor at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin from autumn 2008 to summer 2012 and holds a visiting professorship at Geidai University in Tokyo and an honorary professorship at the Shanghai Conservatory; he also gives master classes worldwide.