Clarinet
Matic Kuder
Matic Kuder was drawn to the clarinet as a small child, primarily because he had two great role models in his family: his cousin and his uncle. It was his uncle who gave him his first clarinet lessons. He later studied in Ljubljana at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana with Dušan Sodja, then at the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana, as well as at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with Gerald Pachinger. He also studied at the University of Music Nuremberg with Thomas Holzmann.
He participated in numerous masterclasses, including those with Matej Bekavac, Wenzel Fuchs, François Benda, Paolo Beltramini, and Harri Mäki. He gained his first orchestral experience as a member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. The positive experiences from that period played a key role in his decision to become an orchestral musician.
A prizewinner of several international competitions, Kuder began his professional career in 2017 as principal clarinetist of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, and four years later he joined the Berlin Philharmonic. One of his first assignments there was the E-flat clarinet part in Igor Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring (Le sacre du printemps). He first heard the work at a rehearsal of the Berlin Philharmonic with Sir Simon Rattle in 2012 and has been fascinated by the orchestra’s sound ever since. “It is incredible to now be part of this orchestra with all its extraordinary musicians,” says Kuder, who in his free time enjoys skiing, tennis, and good food.