Matthias Hammerschmitt was born in Lauda, Baden, in 1957. He learned to play the piano and organ at the local music school from 1967, where he was employed as a teacher for piano from 1971, and for harmony and counterpoint from 1979. After graduating from high school (1976) and military service (1976-1977), he began his studies as a bandmaster with Thomas Ungar in Stuttgart in 1977. Before taking up his first position as répétiteur and Kapellmeister at the Landestheater Coburg in 1982, he had several engagements with the "Jeunesses musicales" in Weikersheim as study leader and assistant to the musical director. From 1975 until 1981 he was also organist at the Protestant church in Lauda. In 1985 he moved from the Landestheater Coburg to the Staatstheater Karlsruhe, where he worked as répétiteur and chapel master until 1990. Since 1990 Matthias Hammerschmitt has held various positions at the Institute for Music Theatre at the Karlsruhe University of Music. He has also been active as a freelance conductor and choir director since 1986. Guest performances have taken him to Rio de Janeiro, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Baden-Baden, Worms and Radebeul. From 1986 to 1991 he was musical director of the Schlossfestspiele Ettlingen, where he built up the music theatre. Hammerschmitt was given the same task in 1997 by the Volksschauspielen in Ötigheim, where he established music theatre with opera, operetta and musical performances until 2012. Since his time in Ettlingen, Matthias Hammerschmitt has also made a name for himself as a composer of incidental music and arrangements for all genres of music. In addition to these musical fields of activity, his work as a piano accompanist has always remained important to him.