Martin Helmchen
Chamber Music Connects the World, Junior
Cello Festival, concert
Visiting Professor in the Kronberg Academy Study Programmes
Kronberg Academy Festival, concert
Chamber Music Connects the World
Martin Helmchen, born in 1982, has established himself as one of the prominent exceptional pianists of the younger generation. He performs with such orchestras as Berliner Philharmoniker under Herbert Blomstedt, Wiener Philharmoniker under Valery Gergiev, London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski, City of Birmigham Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony under Andris Nelsons and New York Philharmonic under Christoph von Dohnányi.
He also enjoys collaborations with conductors such as David Afkham, Marc Albrecht, Sir Mark Elder, Edward Gardner, Philippe Herreweghe, Manfred Honeck, Paavo Järvi, Emmanuel Krivine, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Christoph Poppen, Michael Sanderling and David Zinman.
His quest for exploring all facets of music-making is born in his passion for chamber music – which was largely ignited in early collaborations with the late cellist Boris Pergamenschikow. Helmchen‘s chamber music partners have included Juliane Banse, Matthias Goerne, Veronika Eberle, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Christian Tetzlaff, Antje Weithaas, Carolin Widmann and Frank Peter Zimmermann. He is a regular guest to London’s Wigmore Hall. With Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Martin Helmchen commissioned a double concerto for violoncello and piano from York Höller, which they premiered at the Ruhr Piano Festival in June 2022.
Martin Helmchen is an exclusive artist of Alpha Classics. Last year he released a solo CD of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, a CD of Schumann’s chamber music featuring Marie-Elisabeth Hecker and Antje Weithaas, and a Duo CD of Brahms featuring Marie-Elisabeth Hecker. He has recorded numerous CDs for Pentatone Classics, which include piano concertos by Mozart, Schumann and Mendelssohn, as well as chamber music by Schubert, Schumann and Brahms. In 2020, he was awarded the prestigious Gramophone Music Award for his recording of all of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano concertos with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under Andrew Manze, released by Alpha Classics. In march 2022, the highly acclaimed album "Novelletten und Gesänge der Frühe" with piano works by Robert Schumann was released. The same year, he received the renowned ICMA-Award.
A former student of Galina Iwanzowa in Berlin, Helmchen continued his studies with Arie Vardie at the Hochschule für Musik Hannover. His other mentors include William Grant Naboré and Alfred Brendel. In 2001 he won the “Concours Clara Haskil” and in 2006 he was awarded the “Credit Suisse Young Artist Award”.
Since 2010, Martin Helmchen has been a visiting professor of chamber music at the Kronberg Academy.
„LIEBER SCHUBERT“ IV
Participants
- Martin Helmchen piano
Programme
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Piano Sonana no. 9 B major D 575 op. posth.
Piano Sonata no. 4 A minor D 537
Intermission
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Piano Sonata no. 18 G major D 894
Martin Helmchen introduces these pieces personally. This will be before the beginning of the concert at 6:45 p.m.
Subject to change.
MARTIN HELMCHEN & FRIENDS I
Participants
- Antje Weithaas violin
- Elli Choi violin
- Samuel Rosenthal viola
- Brian Isaacs viola
- Marie-Elisabeth Hecker cello
- Oliver Herbert cello
- Martin Helmchen piano
Programme
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
String Quintet no. 3 in C major, KV 515
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44
Without Intermission
Concert introduction with Martin Helmchen at 6.45 p.m.
Subject to change.
MARTIN HELMCHEN & FRIENDS II
Participants
- Antje Weithaas violin
- Marie-Elisabeth Hecker cello
- Theo Plath Bassoon
- Nemorino Scheliga Klarinette
- Michail Lifits Piano
- Martin Helmchen Piano
- Anna Han Piano
Programme
Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)
Suite italienne (Arr. Piatigorski for violoncello and piano)
Michail Iwanowitsch Glinka (1804–1857)
Trio Pathétique in D minor
Intermission
Pjotr Iljitsch Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873–1943)
Symphonic dances, Op. 45
(Arr. for 2 pianos)
Subject to change.
MARTIN HELMCHEN & FRIENDS III
Participants
- Antje Weithaas violin
- Elli Choi violin
- Jinzhu Li violin
- Samuel Rosenthal viola
- Marie-Elisabeth Hecker cello
- Oliver Herbert cello
- Nemorino Scheliga Klarinette
- Martin Helmchen Piano
Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
The Art of Fugue BWV 1080 Nos. 1, 4 and 9 (arr. for string quartet)
Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992)
Quatuor pour la fin du temps
Subject to change.
BEETHOVEN IM DUO „Saitenweise“ Cello & Klavier
Participants
- Marie-Elisabeth Hecker cello
- Martin Helmchen Piano
Programme
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Sonata in A major for piano and violoncello, Op. 69
Seven Variations on “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen”
from Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” in E-flat major, WoO 46
Intermission
12 Variations on a Theme from Handel’s Oratorio
“Judas Maccabaeus,” WoO 45
Sonata in F major for piano and cello, Op. 5 No. 1
Subject to change.
„LIEBER SCHUBERT“ V
Participants
- Martin Helmchen Piano
Programme
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Sonata no. 5 A flat-major D 557
Sonata no. 15 C-major D 840 „Reliquie“
Sonata no. 19 C-minor D 958
Martin Helmchen introduces these pieces personally. This will be an hour before the beginning of the concert.
Subject to change.
C WIE COURAGE
Participants
- Marie-Elisabeth Hecker cello
- Frans Helmerson cello
- Jens Peter Maintz cello
- Martin Helmchen Piano
Programme
Sarvenaz Safari (*1984)
“C wie …”
Johann S. Bach (1685–1750)
Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008
György Ligeti (1923–2006)
Sonata, Op. 28
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op.38
Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953)
Sonata in C major, Op. 119
The concert is dedicated to Emanuel Feuermann, Jacqueline du Pré and Mstislav Rostropovich.
Subject to change
SERENADE & SARKASMUS
Participants
- Sergei Nakariakov trumpet
- Pauline van der Rest violin
- Martin Helmchen Piano
- Kremerata Baltica
- Gidon Kremer conducting & violin
Programme
Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756–1791)
Serenade No. 6 in D major, K. 239 “Serenata notturna”
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35
Alisson Krussmaa (*1929)
New composition - Title to be announced
Subject to change
"LIEBER SCHUBERT" VI
Participants
- Martin Helmchen Piano
Programme
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Piano Sonata in C major for solo piano, D 613
Piano Sonata in E minor for solo piano, D 566
Piano Sonata in A major for solo piano, D 959
Subject to change
BEETHOVEN IM DUO „SAITENWEISE CELLO & KLAVIER II“
Participants
- Marie-Elisabeth Hecker cello
- Martin Helmchen Piano
Programme
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5 No. 2
Sonata No. 4 in C major, Op. 102 No. 1
Sonata No. 5 in D major, Op. 102 No. 2
Conclusion of the complete Beethoven cycle
Subject to change
"LIEBER SCHUBERT" VII
Participants
- Martin Helmchen Piano
Programme
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Piano Sonata No. 3 in E major, D 459
Piano Sonata in B-flat major, Op. posth., D 960
Conclusion of the complete Schubert cycle
Subject to change