Stephan Petzold was born in Meißen. First music lessons at age five. 1974 began double bass lessons with Roland Hoppe in Dresden, from 1979 studied double bass at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. During a study exchange at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow he recorded works by Giovanni Bottesini, Domenico Dragonetti, Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf and Hans Fryba for Moscow radio. 1984 deputy principal bass in the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, 1986 principal bass in the Berlin Sinfonietta. Member of chamber music ensembles such as the New Berlin Chamber Orchestra, the Berlin Virtuosi and the Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin. Concerts in Europe, Japan and the USA. Since 1988 principal double bass with the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin. Numerous recordings, e.g. Sinfonia Concertante by Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf together with the Berlin Radio Orchestra, B minor concerto by Giovanni Bottesini and the Concertino for flute, viola and double bass by Johannes Matthias Sperger. Since 1987 has taught at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin, where he was honorary professor from 1998 and guest professor from 2003.