Michael Zukernik, founder and artistic director of the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra Berlin, received his training in opera and symphonic music at the University of the Arts in Berlin. At an early stage he established himself as an outstanding percussionist and served as principal timpanist with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (Spain) as well as with the Auckland Philharmonia (New Zealand). He began his conducting studies with Jorma Panula, which took him to Finland, Sweden, Germany and Croatia. He also gained important artistic inspiration in master classes with renowned conductors such as Colin Metters, Leif Segerstam, Otto Werner Mueller, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Vladimir Ponkin, Gustav Meier, Janos Fürst, Sir Colin Davis and Pierre Boulez.