Nick Byrne
Born in Sydney, Australia, but raised in Canberra, Nick is currently (acting) Associate Principal Trombone of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Before joining the SSO in 1995 he was Solo Trombone of the Hofer Symphoniker in Germany.
He has also performed with World Orchestra for Peace, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Australian World Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Lower Brass, Summit Brass (USA), performing under numerous conductors including Barenboim, Boulez, Gergiev, Maazel, Dohnanyi, Mehta, Ashkenazy, Jansons, Dutoit amongst others and was chosen by Sir Georg Solti for his Carnegie Hall Festival Orchestra in 1993.
His teachers included Michael Mulcahy, Ian Perry, Charlie Vernon & Arnold Jacobs. Nick is also widely regarded as the performer that re-discovered the Ophicleide as a solo instrument releasing the recording 'Back from Oblivion' (Melba MR 301111) in 2006 to worldwide acclaim alongside concerto commissions for Naxos and his latest release 'Rêverie & Caprice' on the Rusty Trombone label. He has presented Ophicleide recitals in USA, Asia & Australia and continues to promote the instrument with teaching, commissions & solo recitals. He performs on the c1885 'Le Taureau' in C by Halari/Sudre.
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Matthias Gerstner
Matthias Gerstner is an internationally active pianist, chamber musician and song accompanist. He is interested in everything that can be played on the piano.
During his school years, he learnt the piano, organ and cello - the latter he had to give up due to the horrendous pain caused by the thumb attachment. After leaving school, he studied organ and piano with a minor in horn at the Augsburg Conservatory and then went on to study piano in Münster. His teachers were Karl Maureen, Michael Keller, Hans Leopold Schwerdhöfer and, at masterclasses, Harald Vogel, Konrad Hansen and Vitali Margulis.
Gerstner accompanied Peter Ziether and Konrad Widmer on their singing courses. He has performed with orchestras on several occasions, including Tchaikovsky's piano concertos.
He has also performed regularly with choirs. In his numerous organ concerts, he has played compositions from the North German School, works by Bach, French Romanticism and Hindemith.
Since 1995 he has been employed at the Vienna University of Music as a chamber musician and solo accompanist for students of double bass, trombone and tuba.
His collaboration with Josef Niederhammer, which celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Vienna Musikverein in 2013, has been very rich.
The fact that the pieces sound different for everyone, even though they all play the same notes, is simply marvellous for him.
Mental Coaching
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