One of the most prominent Czech trumpeters, Walter Hofbauer, was born in Jihlava into a musical family. He initially began playing the piano, but later decided to switch to the trumpet, which he studied at the Prague Conservatory under Jiří Jaroňek. He completed his studies at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (HAMU) with a master’s degree in 2021. Even as a student, he excelled in many domestic and international competitions, such as Concertino Praga, the International Interpretative Competition for Wind Instruments in Brno, the Competition of Conservatories and Music High Schools of the Czech Republic, and the New Talent Competition. One of his most recent achievements is winning several awards at the 2021 Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Competition, specifically 1st place in the wind instruments category, the Bohuslav Martinů Prize for the best interpretation of a composition by this composer, and the Přemysl Pražák Prize for the most successful participant in the competition.
As a member of the Prague Conservatory Orchestra and its principal trumpeter, he was invited by Jiří Bělohlávek to perform as a guest at the opening concert of the Prague Spring festival, which led to further collaboration when, together with the Prague Philharmonia, they performed Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E flat major. As a soloist, he has also performed with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Pilsen Philharmonic, the South Czech Philharmonic, the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and other ensembles. He recently gave a solo performance accompanied by the Czech Philharmonic during New Year’s concerts, performing Oskar Böhme’s Tarantella “La Napolitaine”.
From 2014 to 2021, he was a permanent member of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and from the 2017/2018 season through 2024, he has been a member of the National Theater Orchestra. Currently, he can be seen and heard primarily as a permanent member of the Czech Philharmonic, where he first graduated from the Orchestral Academy and is now the principal trumpeter. Orchestral performance is his main specialization; he is a highly sought-after symphonic and studio musician in orchestras throughout the Czech Republic and abroad. He personally fondly recalls, for example, a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, where he was part of a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, which is a major challenge for trumpeters.
In addition to orchestral performances, he is also a chamber musician—he is a member of the PBtet (Prague Brass Quintet), with whom he won the Jeju International Brass & Percussion Competition in South Korea in 2019. They also received awards at the Bucharest International Music Competition 2021 and the International Music Competition OPUS 2022. In 2020, they recorded their debut album JOY and are currently working on another CD featuring compositions by Czech contemporary composers.
Walter Hofbauer is also active as a teacher—he currently has several students at the Prague Conservatory.
