Joseph Breinl was born in Munich in 1974. He studied piano with Karl-Hermann Mrongovius, Gitti Pirner and Willem Brons, song interpretation with Udo Reinemann and Rudolf Jansen and harpsichord and historical performance practice with Therese de Goede.

Performances in world-renowned concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, the Teatro alla Scala, Musikverein Wien, Semperoper Dresden, Wigmore Hall London, Salle Pleyel Paris, National Theatre Munich and the Suntory Hall Tokyo as well as at major festivals such as the Schubertiaden Schwarzenberg and Hohenems, the Edinburgh Festival, Trondheim Chamber Music Festival, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and the Munich Opera Festival have met with great critical acclaim in the press.  

As a Lied pianist, Joseph Breinl performed wirh Michelle Breedt, Miah Persson, Sylvia Schwartz, Christianne Stotijn, Benjamin Appl, Samuel Hasselhorn and Kammersängerin Waltraud Meier, among others. His chamber music partners have included Julian Arp, Isabelle van Keulen, Antoine Tamestit and Tabea Zimmermann.

Since fall 2010, Joseph Breinl has been teaching as a professor of song interpretation at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. In winter 2024, he completed a degree in economics. Joseph Breinl lives with his wife and three children in the north of Graz.