Violoncello Masterclass - with Frans Helmerson & Benedict Kloeckner

Swedish cellist Frans Helmerson began his musical training with Guido Vecchi in Gothenburg before studying with Giuseppe Selmi in Rome and William Pleeth in London. Sergiu Celibidache and his mentor Mstislav Rostropovich also played a highly influential role in his artistic development. In 1971, he won the prestigious Cassado Competition in Florence—the first of many awards. Tours have taken him to other European countries as well as to Japan, Russia, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Frans Helmerson performs with many renowned orchestras and receives outstanding reviews for his concerts and recordings. His recording of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra was hailed as “the best recording currently available on the market.” His recording of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 has also been highly praised.
In addition to his career as a soloist, chamber musician, and conductor, Frans Helmerson taught for several years as a professor at the conservatories in Cologne and Madrid. From 2011 to 2016, he taught as a visiting professor at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin. In 2016, he was appointed to an additional professorship at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin. Since 2006, Frans Helmerson has taught as a principal professor in the study programs at the Kronberg Academy. He plays a cello by Stefan-Peter Greiner.

Cellist Benedict Klöckner is a recipient of the OPUS Classical Music Award and a professor of cello at the École Normale de Musique de Paris – Alfred Cortot. As a soloist, he performs internationally with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the German Radio Philharmonic, the NDR Radio Philharmonic, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, and the Kremerata Baltica. He has collaborated with conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach, Cristian Măcelaru, Ingo Metzmacher, and Michael Sanderling. Concert appearances have taken him to venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Tonhalle in Zurich, and the Kennedy Center in Washington. His chamber music partners have included Anne-Sophie Mutter, Emanuel Ax, and Lisa Batiashvili, among others. Klöckner is the founder and artistic director of the International Music Festival Koblenz (IMUKO) and chairman of the International Violoncello Society.

Pianist Miho Uchida, a member of the ensemble at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, will accompany the course as a répétiteur.

Final Concert | Thu | Dec. 17, 2026 | 7:30 p.m. | Gartensaal

Active participation:
Includes meals and accommodation: €659 for a single room, €619 for a double room, €595 for a triple room
Passive participation:
Includes meals and accommodation: €280 for a single room, €240

Registration deadline: October 31, 2026
After registering for active participation, please send the following application materials to info@landesmusikakademie.de:
•    Resume
•    Repertoire list
•    Video recording (approx. 10–20 minutes in various styles)