J.Winkel, K.Stražanac, S.Breuing, C.Schnackertz, Chorwerk Ruhr & F.Helgath
Biography J.Winkel, K.Stražanac, S.Breuing, C.Schnackertz, Chorwerk Ruhr & F.Helgath
Florian Helgath
Since 2011 Florian Helgath has been Artistic Director of the ChorWerk Ruhr and Zürcher Sing-Akademie since 2017. With these exceptional vocal ensembles he creates choir music of all periods on the highest level both in A cappella and with orchestras.
Florian Helgath has held the position as conductor of the Danish National Choir from 2009 to 2015. In addition, he was Artistic Director of the Via Nova Chor Munich from 2008 to 2016. With this ensemble he has conducted numerous acclaimed first performances and has been awarded with international prizes.
Florian Helgath is also a regular guest conductor of the SWR Vokalensemble, RIAS Kammerchor, MDR Leipzig Radio Choir, Choir of the Bavarian Radio, Netherlands Radio Choir, Choeur de Radio France, Flemish Radio Choir, Warsaw Philharmonic Choir among others and collaborated with orchestras such as Concerto Köln, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, B'Rock Orchestra, Orchestra La Scintilla, Brussels Philharmonic, Odense Symphony, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, WDR Funkhausorchester, Münchner Symphoniker, Bochum Symphony, Dortmund Philharmonic, Bern Chamber Orchestra, Danish Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Resonanz.
Concerts led him to major concert halls and festivals as the Berliner Festspiele, Schwetzinger Festspiele, Audi Sommerkonzerte, Eclat Festival Stuttgart, Thüringer Bachwochen and particularly to the Ruhrtriennale with contemporary opera performances and numerous manifold projects.
Apart from A cappella projects Florian Helgath’s focus are works for choir and orchestra and symphonic repertoire. Upcoming engagements include cooperations with ChorWerk Ruhr and B’Rock Orchestra and Duisburg Philharmonic with music by Berio and Striggio, Bach’s B minor Mass with Zürcher Sing-Akademie and Orchestra La Scintilla as well as A capella concerts including two commissions at World Choir Symposium in Auckland, and guest appearances with The Norwegian Soloists‘ Choir, Netherlands Radio Choir, Choeur de Radio France and BBC Singers.
Florian Helgath’s discography includes a number of recordings as the album Sacred Songs with works by J.S. Bach, Reger and Knut Nystedt with the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir, which was awarded the ICMA Award 2017, works by Palestrina and Wagner also with the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir, Contemporary Choral Music with the Via Nova Chor as well as J.S. Mayr Missa in c – Stabat Mater with the Orpheus Vokalensemble and Concerto Köln among others. For the album Da Pacem: Echo der Reformation with the RIAS Kammerchor and Capella de la Torre Florian Helgath received the ECHO Klassik 2017. The recording of Tigran Mansurian's Requiem with RIAS Kammerchor prepared by Florian Helgath and Munich Chamber Orchestra for ECM Records had been nominated for a Grammy in 2018. Coviello Classics lately released the first album with ChorWerk Ruhr featuring Brahms’ Requiem (piano version) as well as Three choirs A cappella by Walter Furrer with Zürcher Sing-Akademie for SRF2 Kultur.
Florian Helgath’s initial experience started as a chorister in his native city with the Regensburger Domspatzen. He studied choral conducting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich and graduated in 2008 with a Masters Degree. Among his most important teachers are Michael Gläser, Stefan Parkman, Dan-Olof Stenlund who influenced him largely in his career as conductor.
As a prizewinner and finalist of the Eric Ericson Award 2006 and Competition for Young Choral Conductors in Budapest 2007, Florian Helgath has already drawn the attention of the international choral music scene.
