Born in Prague in 1969, Petr Wagner studied cello at the Prague Conservatoire with Josef Chuchro. This was followed by studies in musicology at Charles University in Prague and at Royal Holloway College at the University of London. There he was introduced to the viola da gamba by Richard Boothby, later continuing his development as a gamba player with Jaap ter Linden at the Akademie für alte Musik Dresden.

After having completed his studies in Dresden, Petr Wagner was invited to study with Wieland Kuijken at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague where he received the prestigious Uitvoerend Musicus solo diploma.

Petr has appeared at numerous European festivals (Festival d’Ile de France, Prague Spring Festival, Sopron Early Music Days, Mitte Europa Festival, Brežice Early Music Festival, Forum Musicum Wrocław), both as a soloist and continuo player, and collaborates with musicians such as Jacques Ogg, Shalev Ad-El, Mitzi Meyerson, Bruce Dickey, Brent Wissick, Miklós Spányi, Péter Szüts, Simon Standage, Ophira Zakai, Magdalena Kožená, Noémi Kiss, and ensembles such as Concerto Palatino, Orfeo Orchestra, Les Inégales Köln, Concerto Armonico Budapest and Oslo Baroque Soloists.

In 1998 Petr Wagner founded the Ensemble Tourbillon with internationally acclaimed musicians. Its core activities focus on 17th and 18th century repertoire, with music by Couperin, Bach, Marais, Rebel, Purcell, Finger, Fischer and Handel.

Petr regularly records and broadcasts for Czech Radio.

Future plans for 2005 include invitations to the Boston Early Music Festival as performer and teacher, re-invitations to the Prague Spring Festival, Concentus Moraviae Festival, Germany (Berlin and Dresden) and two major recording projects as well as Czech Television shoot of Petr’s portrait.

Besides his performing activities, Petr is Artistic Director of the Early Music Festival in Český Krumlov (Czech Republic) and teaches viola da gamba in Prague and at the Academy of Music of Karol Lipinski in Wrocław.