Martin Helmchen is one of the most sought-after pianists and has been performing on the world's most important stages for decades. In particular, the originality and intensity of his interpretations, which he presents with impressive tonal sensitivity and technical finesse, distinguish him as a musician. 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 2022 he received the ICMA-Award.

The 2023/24 season begins with a long-awaited debut: Martin Helmchen will appear at the BBC Proms for the first time and perform Brahms' 2nd Piano Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo. Further concerts will take him to the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Philharmonia Zürich, Tonkünstler-Orchester as well as Kammerakademie Potsdam and hr-Sinfonieorchester. He will perform with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie in Bremen as well as a touring project in Belgium. In February 2024 he will embark on a piano trio tour with his wife Marie-Elisabeth Hecker and the violinist Augustin Hadelich.

As a soloist, Martin Helmchen has performed with numerous renowned orchestras, including the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra London, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, New York Philharmonic and The Cleveland Orchestra. He works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Manfred Honeck, Andrew Manze, Kazuki Yamada, Vladimir Jurowski, Andris Nelsons, Christoph von Dohnányi, Jakub Hrůša, Klaus Mäkelä, Paavo Järvi, Sakari Oramo, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Michael Sanderling and David Zinman.

Chamber music has a special significance for him - a passion for which Boris Pergamenschikow gave the essential impulses. His close chamber music partners include Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Julian Prégardien, Augustin Hadelich, Antje Weithaas and Carolin Widmann.

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 with Alpha Classics. His most recent release was the highly acclaimed album "Novelletten und Gesänge der Frühe" with piano works by Robert Schumann in March 2022. May 2021 saw the release of his recording of Carl Maria von Weber's Concert Piece with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin under Christoph Eschenbach. His past releases have included Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, Messiaen's "Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus", and duo recordings with Marie-Elisabeth Hecker including works by Brahms and Schubert.

Born in Berlin in 1982 and a former student of Galina Iwanzowa, Helmchen continued his studies with Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover. Other mentors include William Grant Naboré and Alfred Brendel. His career gained incredible momentum when he won the “Concours Clara Haskil” in 2001. Since 2010, Martin Helmchen has been an Associate Professor of chamber music at the Kronberg Academy.

SEASON 2023/2024