Frans Helmerson
Cello
⟹ Sweden, 1945
⟹ 4th x Cello Biënnale (2008, 2014, 2024 & 2026)
⟹ Plays a Domenico Montagna cello (~1742)
The Swedish cellist Frans Helmerson started his musical education with Guido Vecchi in Göteborg and later studied with Giuseppe Selmi in Rome and with William Pleeth in London. Mstislav Rostropovich also took an interest in Frans Helmerson’s career for several years. He has performed as a soloist in the US, South America, Asia, and Europe, with numerous international orchestras. His passion for chamber music makes him a welcome guest at the major European music festivals. He was also the artistic director of the International Chamber Music Festival Umeå-Korsholm for a considerable time. In 2002, he founded the Michelangelo String Quartet with Mihaela Martin, Stephan Picard, and Nobuko Imai. Alongside his career as a soloist and chamber musician, Frans Helmerson is above all a renowned teacher. He held a professorship at the Musikhochschule in Cologne and currently teaches at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, at the Kronberg Academy Masters, and at the Barenboim-Said Akademie. From 2024-2025, Frans Helmerson has also been teaching in the Advanced Cello programme at the Stauffer Academy.
