Helmut Koch (Conductor)

Born: April 5, 1908 - Wuppertal-Barmen, Germany
Died: January 26, 1975 - Berlin, Germany

The German conductor, Helmut Koch, studied conducting from 1926 to 1928 with teachers including Fiedler, Fritz Lehmann, and Hermann Scherchen while training to be a Tonmeister (sound controller).

In the ensuing years, Helmut Koch directed the Berlin Schubert Choir and works as sound engineer and recording director for radio and various recording companies. He also led workers’ choruses for many years. After World War II, he was active in East Germany and quickly gained reputation as a choral and orchestral director. He was founder-conductor of the Kammerorchester Berlin from 1945, founder-conductor of the Berlin Radio (Large) Choir from 1948, and director of the Berlin Singakademie from 1963. He led the first two ensembles until he died in Berlin in 1975. He was also a guest conductor at the Berlin State Opera from 1960. In 1951 he was appointed a professor.

Helmut Koch was widely known in East Germany for his performances of the music of George Frideric Handel. He was greatly acclaimed for his work with the Kammerorchester Berlin. He made numerous arrangements of German folk songs.

Source: Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20^th Century Classical Musicians (1997); Liner notes to the 6-CD album 'Bach made in Germany Vol. VIII - Orchestral Works' (Berlin Classics 2000)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (October 2002, August 2005); Matthias Hansen (Photo 07 - May 2010; Photo 08 - September 2010))

Helmut Koch: Short Biography | Kammerorchester Berlin | Recordings of Vocal Works

Links to other Sites

Helmut Koch - Gründer der Berliner Singakademie [German]

Helmut Koch: Discography