Helmut Branny (born 1957) is a German conductor, double bassist and professor of chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden. He is a member of the

Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden The Staatskapelle Dresden (known formally as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden) is a German orchestra based in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Founded in 1548 by Maurice, Elector of Saxony, it is one of the world's oldest and most highly re ...

, musical director of the

Dresdner Kapellsolisten The Dresdner Kapellsolisten is a German chamber orchestra based in Dresden. The ensemble of soloists was formed in 1994 mostly by members of the Staatskapelle Dresden, directed by double bassist Helmut Branny. They play mostly music of the 18t ...

and the Cappella Musica Dresden. With the Kapellsolisten, he has made many recordings, and toured internationally.

Career

Branny, born in the Erzgebirge,

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

(then in

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

), studied

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...

at the

Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber The Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber (Carl Maria von Weber College of Music; also/formerly known as Dresden Conservatory or Dresden Royal Conservatory) is a university of music in Dresden, Germany. History The Hochschule opened ...

in Dresden with Heinz Herrmann from 1973 to 1979. Subsequently, he was engaged at the Staatskapelle Dresden. Since its foundation in 1994, he has led the

. With the chamber orchestra, he has given guest performances in Europe and Asia among others. He has performed at the Berlin Philharmonie,

Kölner Philharmonie The Kölner Philharmonie is a symphonic concert hall located in Cologne, Germany. It is part of the building assemble of the Museum Ludwig and was opened in 1986. The Kölner Philharmonie is located close to the Cologne Cathedral and the Cologn ...

, and at festivals such as the

Rheingau Musik Festival The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, ...

, and . He has also conducted with soloists such as

Alison Balsom Alison Louise Balsom, Lady Mendes, (born 7 October 1978) is an English trumpet soloist, arranger, producer, and music educator. Balsom was awarded Artist of the Year at the 2013 Gramophone Awards and has won three Classic BRIT Awards and thre ...

, Albrecht Mayer,

Martin Stadtfeld Martin Stadtfeld (born 19 November 1980 in Gackenbach) is a German pianist. Stadtfeld gave his first concert at age 9, and at age 14 enrolled at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt under the tutelage of Russian-Am ...

Matthias Goerne Matthias Goerne (born 31 March 1967) is a German baritone. He has performed and recorded extensively, both on the opera stage and in Lieder settings. Goerne has been referred to as "Today's leading interpreter of German art songs" by the Chicago ...

Gábor Boldoczki Gábor Boldoczki (born 1976 in Szeged, Hungary) is a Hungarian trumpeter who plays Classical music. He played first trumpet in 2004 in the Salzburg Festival. He has been a professor of trumpet at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music The Liszt Fe ...

Nils Mönkemeyer Nils Mönkemeyer (born 1978) is a German violist and academic teacher. He has recorded several CDs, of viola literature and arrangements for the viola, making it a respected solo instrument. He has been awarded several international prizes. Car ...

Dorothee Oberlinger Dorothee Oberlinger (born 2 September 1969) is a German recorder player and professor. Biography Dorothee Oberlinger was born in Aachen and raised in Simmern. At the University of Cologne, she studied music education and German studies. Af ...

Sergei Nakariakov Sergei Mikhailovich Nakariakov (russian: Серге́й Михайлович Накаряков; ; born May 10, 1977, in Gorky) is a Russian-Israeli virtuoso trumpeter residing in Paris, France, who came to prominence in the late 1990s. He rel ...

and

Lise de la Salle Lise de la Salle (born 8 May 1988) is a French classical pianist. Career De la Salle first performed aged 9 on Radio France. At 12 years old, she won the First Prize of the Seventh International Contest of Ettlingen, Germany. She is also a pri ...

. In addition to his membership of the Staatskapelle, he has held a teaching post at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber since 1995, and has been a professor for chamber music there since 2003. His engagements in Dresden have taken him among others to the

Dresden Frauenkirche The Dresden Frauenkirche (german: Dresdner Frauenkirche, , ''Church of Our Lady'') is a Evangelical Church in Germany, Lutheran church in Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony. Destroyed during the Allied Bombing of Dresden in Wo ...

, the

Dresden Music Festival The Dresden Music Festival (German: Dresdner Musikfestspiele) is an annual music festival which takes place in Dresden, Germany in May and June. Although classical music, including contemporary classical music, forms the core of its performances, w ...

s and the Moritzburg Festival. Branny and the Kapellsolisten have a long-standing artistic relationship with the

Dresdner Kreuzchor The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, Germany. It has a seven-century history and a world-wide reputation. Today, the choir has about 150 members between the ages of 9 and 19, from Dresden and the surroundin ...

.Helmut Branny
dresdner-kapellsolisten.de 2014 He is also responsible for the musical direction of the Cappella Musica Dresden, founded in 1995. Branny is a chamber music partner of ensembles including Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin,

Freiburger Barockorchester Freiburger Barockorchester (Freiburg Baroque Orchestra) is a German Baroque orchestra founded in 1987, with the mission statement: "to enliven the world of Baroque music with new sounds". History The orchestra is based in Freiburg im Breisgau. ...

, Mitteldeutsche Barocksolisten Leipzig and "Les amis de Philippe" in Bremen. He has collaborated with conductor

Peter Schreier Peter Schreier (29 July 1935 – 25 December 2019) was a German tenor in opera, concert and lied, and a conductor. He was regarded as one of the leading lyric tenors of the 20th century. Schreier was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor conduct ...

and cellist

Jan Vogler Jan Vogler (born February 18, 1964) is a German-born classical cellist who lives in New York City."About Jan Vogler" ...

. Branny also deals with contemporary music, performing world premieres of works by Rainer Lischka, Takashi Jashimatsu and Berthold Paul, interpreting works by

Wolfgang Rihm Wolfgang Rihm (born 13 March 1952) is a German composer and academic teacher. He is musical director of the Institute of New Music and Media at the University of Music Karlsruhe and has been composer in residence at the Lucerne Festival and the Sa ...

and

Kazimierz Serocki Kazimierz Serocki (3 March 1922 – 9 January 1981) was a Polish composer and one of the founders of the Warsaw Autumn contemporary music festival. Life Serocki was born in Toruń. He studied composition with Kazimierz Sikorski and piano w ...

, among others. In 2012, he conducted the Kapellsolisten and singers in a revival of the opera ''

La casa disabitata ''La casa disabitata'' (The Uninhabited House) is a comic opera in one act composed by Princess Amalie of Saxony to her own Italian-language libretto. It was first performed in the court theatre of Pillnitz Castle in Dresden on 17 September 1835. ...

'' by

Princess Amalie of Saxony , image = María Amalia of Saxony by López Portaña.jpg , caption = Maria Amalie in 1825, portrait by Vicente López Portaña. , spouse = Franciscus de Merendonque ??? , issue = Johannes de Merendonque ??? , house ...

, which had been rediscovered in Moscow. Branny led a recording with bassoon concertos found in the library of the Dresden Court which acquired the collection of

Johann Georg Pisendel Johann Georg Pisendel ( – 25 November 1755) was a German Baroque violinist and composer who, for many years, led the Court Orchestra in Dresden as concertmaster, then the finest instrumental ensemble in Europe. He was the leading violinist of ...

, a concerto by

Johann Gottlieb Graun Johann Gottlieb Graun (1702/1703 – 28 October 1771) was a German Baroque/Classical era composer and violinist, born in Wahrenbrück. His brother Carl Heinrich was a singer and also a composer, and is the better known of the two. Johann Gottlieb ...

, two concertos by Antonín Reichenauer and one concerto by Franz Horneck.

Awards

2010:

ECHO Klassik The Echo Klassik, often stylized as ECHO Klassik, was Germany's major classical music award in 22 categories. The award, presented by the , was held annually, usually in October or September, separate from its parent award, the Echo Music Prize. Th ...

– "Concert Recording of the Years" for ''Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten''

Recordings

Recordings of the Kapellsolisten conducted by Branny have included:Helmut Branny
muziekweb.nl * ''Jubilate Deo'' (

VEB Deutsche Schallplatten The VEB Deutsche Schallplatten was the monopolistic music publisher in the German Democratic Republic from the 1950s until the 1980s. On August 12, 1946, the German singer and actor Ernst Busch got permission by Soviet military administration ...

, 1988) * Haydn – '' Konzert für Oboe und Orchester C-Dur'' (Sächsische Tonträger, 1995?) * Haydn – '' Sinfonie G-Dur Nr. 94 "mit dem Paukenschlag"'' ( Günter Voigt,

Jan Vogler Jan Vogler (born February 18, 1964) is a German-born classical cellist who lives in New York City."About Jan Vogler" ...

, 1996) * Mozart – Symphony No. 21, K. 134 (Sächsische Tonträger, 1997) * ''Mit Pauken und Trompeten'' (Sächsische Tonträger, 1997) * Mozart – ''Sinfonien und Serenaden'' (B.T.M., 2004) * ''Mit Pauken und Trompeten'' (B.T.M., 2004) * Mozart – '' Konzert für Flöte, Harfe und Orchester'', K 299 (B.T.M., 2004) * Mozart – ''Berühmte Bläserkonzerte'' (B.T.M., 2004) * ''Zeitgenossen – Musik der Zeit / 28. Dresdner Konzerte'' (Wolfgang Smitmans, 2007) * ''Jan Vogler – my tunes / 1'' (

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...

, 2007) * ''Schubert / Mendelssohn Bartholdy / Schumann – Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten'' (Sony, 2009) * Haydn – Symphonies No. 26, 43 & 83 (Sony, 2009) * Dennis (Sony, 2009) * ''Jan Vogler – my tunes / 2'' (Sony, 2010) * , violin (Sony, 2011) * Bach / Corelli / Handel / Telemann / Torelli / Vivaldi – ''Festliches Konzert'' (ARS Produktion, 2015, of live concert at

Villa Hügel The Villa Hügel is a 19th-century mansion in Bredeney, now part of Essen, Germany. It was built by the industrialist Alfred Krupp in 1870-1873 as his main residence and was the home of the Krupp family until after World War II. More recently ...

, 8 December 2013) * Graun / Horneck / Reichenauer / Telemann – ''Dresdner Fagottkonzerte aus Schranck II'' (Dresden bassoon concertos from cabinet II) (ARS Produktion, 2016)

References

External links

* * Stephen Greenbank
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) / Cello Concertos
musicweb-international.com December 2016 {{DEFAULTSORT:Branny, Helmut German conductors (music) German music educators Echo (music award) winners 1957 births Living people Musicians from Saxony Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber alumni Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber faculty