Anton Kernjak

The pianist Anton Kernjak comes from a Slovenian-speaking Austrian family. As a sought-after chamber musician, he performs in various duo and trio formations, maintaining an active concert career in Europe, Canada, the USA, and Japan. His engagements have taken him, for example, to the Tonhalle Zürich, the Konzerthaus Berlin, to the WDR in Cologne, to Wigmore Hall in London, and several times to Carnegie Hall in New York.

For several years, Anton Kernjak has performed in a duo with cellist Anita Leuzinger and regularly collaborates with Heinz Holliger. This collaboration resulted in the CD “Aschenmusik,” released on ECM Records, featuring works by Schumann and Holliger. In addition to his classical-romantic repertoire, he is highly committed to performing contemporary works.

He received his education at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg with Professor Christoph Lieske and later studied in the concert class of Rudolf Buchbinder at the Music University in Basel, where he graduated with distinction. Anton Kernjak attended master classes with György Kurtág at the International Musicians Seminars in Prussia Cove in England, and for many years the Hungarian musician Ferenc Rados was his most important musical mentor. He has received several awards and was a prizewinner at the international Johannes Brahms piano competition in Austria.Anton Kernjak is currently a Professor of Chamber Music at the University of Music in Basel.