Eduard Brunner began his musical studies in his home town of Basle. He continued his education under the guidance of Louis Cahuzac at the Paris Conservatory. Upon graduation he became Principal Clarinet of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich, a position he held for thirty years. At present he is a professor of clarinet and chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellenden Kunst in Saarbrücken.
He has developed a fine career both as a soloist and member of chamber ensembles. His partners have included Gidon Kremer, Oleg Kagan, Natalia Gutman, Juri Bashmet, and Alfred Brendel.
He is regularly invited to international festivals in Lockenhaus, Vienna, Moscow, Warsaw, Schleswig-Holstein, Berlin and other venues.
Every year he teaches at over a dozen international music courses.
He has recorded over 200 works for clarinet on such labels as dg, Philips, Tudor, Schwann, Orfec, and ecm. His latest recordings include the complete clarinet concertos of Carl Stamitz and Louis Spohr. His current project comprises 15 clarinet concertos by French composers.
One of the finest interpreters of contemporary music, Brunner has commissioned such composers as Lachenmann, Yun, Denisov, Françaix, Kancheli and Hosokawa to write pieces for him, thus contributing to the enrichment of present-day clarinet literature.