Bernhard Plagg was born in 1989 in Mals, South Tyrol (Italy), where he gained his first musical experience in the local brass band and under his first trumpet teacher, Anton Stecher. He then studied trumpet with Lothar Hilbrand at the Vorarlberg State Conservatory in Feldkirch. After completing his Bachelor’s degree with distinction in 2011, the South Tyrolean moved to the Mozarteum University in Salzburg for his Master’s studies, where he studied under Prof. Hans Gansch and Prof. Mag. Andreas Öttl. In Berlin, he completed a further Master’s degree at the Berlin University of the Arts under Prof. Gábor Tarkövi.

During the 2012/13 season, he was an intern with the State Philharmonic Orchestra – State Theatre Nuremberg and a trainee with the Bavarian State Orchestra in Munich. Bernhard Plagg also gained valuable experience on five European tours with the renowned Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, where he served as principal trumpeter on several occasions.

From August to December 2013, he held the position of principal trumpeter with the North West German Philharmonic in Herford. In January 2014, his career took him to the State Philharmonic Orchestra – State Theatre Nuremberg as a substitute trumpeter. Since the 2016/17 season, he has been engaged as a trumpeter with the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin.

Temporary positions led him to renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Bavarian State Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic, the Munich Radio Orchestra, the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Since 2020, Bernhard has been pursuing his passion for teaching as a lecturer at the Berlin University of the Arts.