Michael Oberaigner studied at the Tyrolean State Conservatory and in Munich with Raymond Curfs. He played in the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra as well as in the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra, and was a soloist during the world premiere of “Concerto Obi” with the Tyrolean Chamber Orchestra InnStrumenti. Michael Oberaigner regularly performs with the Munich Chamber Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.

Our profession is varied in many ways. Every week we rehearse a new and exciting programme with great conductors. In addition, we go on fantastic tours to a wide range of countries, where our sound represents Berlin. Even if it is exciting for me as a musician to explore the many wonderful concert halls of the world with our orchestra, I’m always happy to come back to rehearsals on Gendarmenmarkt after each trip.

If it’s not pouring, I usually ride my bike to the concert. The fresh air helps to recharge my batteries and wakes me up for a fantastic concert experience.

As an Austrian, I am proud that we have had a pair of Viennese timpani in the Konzerthaus for a few years now. They are mainly used for classical works ranging from Bach to Beethoven. To find the best instrument for the Konzerthaus acoustics, we timpanists organised a kind of “blind tasting” in 2012, with five different pairs of timpani on stage. My colleague Mark Voermans and I then took turns playing and listening. Iván Fischer, then our principal conductor, also took a seat behind the timpani to play for a bit.

I recommend hopping on a bicycle seat – there are many great places and sights in and around Berlin that are best explored by bike. Besides, it’s the quickest way out of the city and into the countryside.