Matthias Franz

Matthias Franz was born in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, where he received his first lessons on the tenor horn at the age of nine. At the age of 16 he additionally learned trombone.
In 2000 he won 1st prize at the national competition "Jugend musiziert". Further awards such as the cultural promotion prize of the city of Pfaffenhofen motivated him to study trombone with Wolfram Arndt at the Munich Musikhochschule.
During his studies he was a trainee with the Hofer Symphoniker and the Theater Coburg, and gained orchestral experience with the Bundesjugendorchester, the Theater Lübeck and the Münchner Symphoniker, among others.
In 2006 he received a temporary contract as solo trombonist with the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Lower Bavarian Philharmonic Orchestra in Passau as principal trombonist.
With his brass quintet "Contra Brass München" he won 1st prize at the international Jan Koetsier Competition in 2009. Since 2009 he is the coordinated solo trombonist of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra.