Claus Reichstaller is born in Munich and raised with traditional and classical music. Reichstaller learned to play the trumpet at the age of nine. At the age of eleven he won the regional classical competition of „Jugend musiziert“.

His first contact with jazz was when his uncle took him to a Jazzclub to listen to the drummer Billy Brooks. After this very impressive experience he already decided to become a jazzmusician.

In order to perfect his technique on his instrument he studied classical trumpet at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich in the early 80`s. At the same time he studied improvisation with Benny Bailey and played with Big Bands, such as Al Porcino and Peter Herbolzheimer.

Claus had his first great musical success with the latin-jazz formation Conexion Latina. He toured with the band for many years and recorded the famous CD Mambo 2000.

Since then Claus is a very popular session artist and recorded music in different genres. He was a member of the SWR BigBand from 1997 to 2007.

The saxophonist Nathan Davis brought him in 1989 to the Paris Reunion Band. He replayed the great trumpeter Woody Shaw which he was influenced by and started his international career.

Claus toured with the Paris Reunion Band through Japan, USA and the Middle East and played with jazz musicians such as Nat Adderly, John Handy, Curtis Fuller, Bill Hardman, Jimmy Woode, Louis Hayes, Billy Cobham, Idris Muhammad, Kenny Drew.

Together with the saxophonist Axel Kühn he founded the group Conception, and recorded several albums with the fantastic band Salsafuerte.

He continued to work as a studio musician with Klaus Doldinger, Max Greger, Paul Kuhn, the SWR Big Band Stuttgart and the HR Bigband Frankfurt.

On Benny Golson´s tribute tour „We remember Clifford“ in 2006, Claus played with Al Foster, Buster Williams, Mike LeDonne, Randy Brecker.

Reichstaller was also recognized as a composer in 2009 with his music for the stage play "Leichtes Spiel" by Botho Strauss in a production by Dieter Dorn at the Residenztheater München.

In 2009 he was appointed as a Professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. Besides the regular curriculum Claus initiated several educational programs with international guests such as Abraham Laboriel, Billy Cobham, Patti Austin, Patrice Rushen, Ernie Watts, Jon Faddis, Dave Liebman and others.