Piano and Cello: A Dialogue Through the Seasons

^{Summer 2025}

German pianist Martin Helmchen is widely admired for his tonal sensitivity, technical finesse, and deeply personal interpretations. For over two decades, he has appeared on the world’s major stages and is among today’s most sought-after pianists. He was awarded the Gramophone Classical Music Award in 2020.

In the 2024/25 season, he served as Artist in Residence with the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and performs with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, and others. Recitals will take him to venues including Konzerthaus Berlin, Beethovenfest Bonn, and the Rudolfinum Prague.

He has collaborated with leading orchestras such as the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics, Concertgebouworkest, Staatskapelle Dresden, Boston Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and Cleveland Orchestra, under conductors like Blomstedt, Gilbert, Honeck, Hrůša, Järvi, Mäkelä, and Nelsons.

A passionate chamber musician, his partners include Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Antja Weithaas and Augustin Hadelich. He co-directs the Fliessen International Chamber Music Festival and appears at festivals such as BBC Proms, Lucerne, and Marlboro.

Helmchen records for Alpha Classics. His recent releases include Bach’s Six Partitas and Schumann’s Novelletten. He studied with Galina Iwanzowa, Arie Vardi, and Alfred Brendel, and teaches chamber music at the Kronberg Academy.

German cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker is widely praised for the emotional depth, tonal beauty, and sincerity of her playing. With a profound connection to the music and compelling stage presence, she ranks among the most respected cellists of her generation.

In the 2024/25 season, she appeared with orchestras such as the Dresden Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg, and performs at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and the Lucerne Festival. Recent highlights include collaborations with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Berlin, Orchestre de Paris, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, under conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Philippe Herreweghe, Kent Nagano, and Christian Thielemann.

A passionate chamber musician, she appears regularly with artists like Antje Weithaas, Augustin Hadelich, and Stephen Waarts, and performs internationally in recital with Martin Helmchen. Together, they are co-founders and artistic directors of the Fliessen International Chamber Music Festival. In 2022, they premiered York Höller’s Double Concerto at the Ruhr Piano Festival.

Marie-Elisabeth Hecker records for Alpha Classics, with acclaimed releases featuring works by Brahms, Schubert, and Elgar. She teaches at the Kronberg Academy and appears regularly at festivals across Europe and beyond.