Helmuth Rilling

Helmuth Rilling (b. May 29, 1933) is a German conductor.

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He was born in Stuttgart into a musical family. He received his early training in protestant seminaries in W?rttemberg. From 1952 to 1955, he studied organ, composition, and choral conducting at the Stuttgart College of Music. He completed his studies with Fernando Germani in Rome and at the Accademia Muicala Chigiana in Siena.

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While still a student in 1954, he founded his first choir, the G?chinger Kantorei. Starting in 1957, he was organist and choirmaster at the Stuttgart Ged?chtniskirche. From 1963 to 1966, he built up the Spandau Choir, while teaching organ and choral conducting.

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In 1967 he studied with Leonard Bernstein in New York and that year was appointed professor of choral conducting at the State Music Academy in Frankfurt, in which post he continued until 1985.

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In 1969, he took over as conductor of the Frankfurt Choir. Since 1965, he has conducted the Stuttgart Bach Collegium, which often performs with the G?chinger Kantorei. He has toured widely with both ensembles.

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He is considered the world's leading expert on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries. He is the first person to have prepared and recorded the complete choral works of J.S. Bach, a monumental task involving well over 1,000 pieces of music and spanning 170 compact discs. He is also considered an expert on romantic and classical choral and orchestral works, including the works of Johannes Brahms. In 1988 he conducted the world premiere of the Messa per Rossini.

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Rilling is also the co-founder and artistic director of the Oregon Bach Festival.

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May 29: May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). There are 216 days remaining....

1933: 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar)....

1952: 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar)....

Helmuth Rilling related Images and Photos (experimental)

Beatrice the White Arab Saddlehorse of Helmuth Graf Von Moltke 1855