Zürcher Sing-Akademie & Florian Helgath
Biography Zürcher Sing-Akademie & Florian Helgath
Florian Helgath
has established himself as one of the leading choral conductors of this generation. He has been Artistic Director of ChorWerk Ruhr since 2011 and was appointed Artistic Director of the Zürcher Sing-Akademie in 2017. With these two ensembles he explores choral music from all eras, ranging from a cappella repertoire to the vast choral works of the symphonic genre.
Florian Helgath regularly appears as guest conductor with many leading vocal ensembles and has collaborated with renowned orchestras. He has performed in many major concert halls, and at festivals including the Berliner Festspiele, Schwetzinger Festspiele, Audi Sommerkonzerte, Eclat Festival Neue Musik Stuttgart and Thüringer Bachwochen. He has developed a particular connection with the Ruhrtriennale; his projects for this festival include numerous contemporary music theatre productions.
His discography includes a number of prize-winning recordings: his interpretations have achieved accolades including the ICMA and ECHO Klassik, as well as Grammy nomination.
Florian Helgath’s formative musical experiences took place in his native town, where he was a member of the Regensburger Domspatzen; he continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in München. Among his most influential teachers were Michael Gläser, Stefan Parkman, and Dan Olof Stenlund.
He achieved international successes as prize-winner at competitions including the Eric Ericson Award in Sweden (2006) and the International Competition for Young Choral Conductors in Budapest (2007).
From 2009 to 2015 Florian Helgath was conductor of the Danish Radio Choir and Artistic DIrector of the Via Nova Choir Munich from 2008 to 2016. With this ensemble he conducted numerous acclaimed world premieres and was awarded national and international prizes.
In October 2020 Florian Helgath was appointed professor at the University of Music and Dance in Cologne for choral conducting, since spring 2024 he has held a professorship at the Munich University of Music and Theatre.
The Zürcher Sing-Akademie
is renowned for its versatility and flexibility, performing at the highest level in both chamber and symphonic settings. The Swiss choir collaborates with many eminent orchestras within Switzerland and internationally, and boasts an extensive symphonic repertoire. The ensemble also frequently presents a cappella programmes and plays a prominent part in the promotion of Swiss composers, both historical and contemporary.
Central to its ethos is the continued development of the choral landscape: the Zürcher Sing-Akademie frequently commissions new works and has given many première performances. Florian Helgath has been conductor and artistic director of the Zürcher Sing-Akademie since 2017.
Since its formation in 2011, the choir has collaborated with numerous conductors including Bernard Haitink, David Zinman, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Roger Norrington, Pablo Heras-Casado, Neeme Järvi, Giovanni Antonini, Paavo Järvi, and René Jacobs.
Concert tours have taken the Zürcher Sing-Akademie to Germany, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Taiwan, China, and as well as many European cities. In addition to its long association with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, the choir regularly performs with acclaimed ensembles such as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Kammerorchester Basel, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Hofkapelle München, and the baroque orchestra La Scintilla. In joint projects with the Freiburger Barockorchester, the choir is performing in major concert halls in Europe, such as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Kölner Philharmonie, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Philharmonie Berlin and Konzerthaus Freiburg.
Many of the ensembles CD recordings have won acclaim in the form of prestigious awards. The most recent additions to its discography are Haydn’s “Stabat Mater” with the Kammerorchester Basel for Pentatone, conducted by René Jacobs and Mendelssohn’s «Sommernachtstraum» and «Lobgesang» with the Tonhalle Orchestera Zurich, conducted by Paavo Järvi and released at Alpha.
