Stepan Turnovsky was born in Prague in 1959, and moved to Vienna with his father, the conductor Martin Turnovsky. From 1973 he studied at the Vienna Hochschule für Musik with Prof Karl Öhlberger. In 1978 he joined the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1985, he became the solo bassoonist of both orchestras while at the same time, he was teaching “Wind Chamber Music” at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna.

As soloist he has performed in radio productions in Austria and internationally. As a member of the Vienna Bläserensemble and the Neues Wiener Oktett he is extremely active in the field of chamber music. He also was a member of the Concentus Musicus Vienna for many years.