Born in Berlin, Germany on June 21, 1982, Martin Helmchen is a classical pianist who specializes in chamber music. He began taking piano lessons at the age of six and studied between 1993 and 2000 at the Hanns Eisler Conservatory of Music with Galina Iwanzowa. Beginning in 2001, he studied at the Hochschule für Musik of Hannover with Arie Vardi. Martin Helmchen was the winner of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition (2001), the Kissinger Klavierolymp Competition (2003) and took home the award for Best Young Artist at the Lucerne Festival (2006). He appeared as the featured pianist in the BBC New Generation Artists program (2005-2007), while also performing with international orchestras. His recorded output focused on works by Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Dvořák, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns and Chausson. Highlights of his recorded catalog includes Brahms: Sonatas & Trio (2008) with clarinetist Sharon Kam and cellist Gutav Rivinius, Complete Works for Violin and Piano, Volume 1 with violinist Julia Fischer (2009), Beethoven: Diabelli Variations (2018), Violin Sonatas 1-4 with Frank-Peter Zimmermann (2019) and Beethoven: Piano Concertos 1 & 4 with Andrew Manze and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (2020). Martin Helmchen has also recorded several albums with his wife, cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker.
