“Many thanks, Maestro Dorsch, for these two wonderful days at the MUK!
I learned so much from you! I will study Nicolo Porpora and his teachings more closely in the future, as I know far too little about them.
All the best, and above all, good health!
Hopefully, see you again soon!”
István Bonyhádi
“Hallo! Was pleasure to work with you !! Vielen lieben Dank !! Wish we will work again some day!!”
Aleksandra Kenenova
"I would like to express my deep gratitude to Maestro Professor Helge Dorsch for the unforgettable masterclasses!
I was fortunate enough to participate in this wonderful event at the invitation of our daughter Alexandra Kolesnikova.
Professor Helge Dorsch is a true genius—an inspiring educator and human being who deeply feels music. His skill and charisma have left an indelible impression on me!
Alexandra is full of inspiration and enthusiasm, and I share her joy.
From the bottom of my heart—thank you, Maestro!"
Alesia Wetstein
Helge Dorsch was born in Penzberg (Germany). He studied conducting, piano, and composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. In addition, he attended summer courses with Prof. Hans Swarowsky in Ossiach and Vienna. His career began at the age of 20 as a répétiteur at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. Shortly afterward, he was engaged by the Salzburg Festival as assistant to Riccardo Muti and Claudio Abbado. This was followed by engagements at the Bayreuth Festival as assistant to renowned conductors and at the Bregenz Festival, where he was appointed head of music staff in 1990. As collaborator with Valery Gergiev, he took part in the Baden-Baden Festival. Guest engagements subsequently led him, among others, to Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Bonn, Essen, Dortmund, Mannheim, Ankara, Istanbul, Tehran, Reykjavik, Budapest, Bucharest, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Riga, Minsk, Prague, Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome (Teatro dell’Opera and RAI), Bologna, Venice, Turin, Reggio nell’Emilia, Palermo, Catania, Cagliari, Nice, Bordeaux, Paris (Opéra Bastille and Opéra Garnier), as well as to the USA, Canada, South America, Central America, South Africa, Japan, China, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
He has collaborated with singers such as Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Hermann Prey, Brigitte Fassbaender, Eva Marton, Montserrat Caballé, René Kollo, José Carreras, and Plácido Domingo, to name just a few.
At the age of 28 he was appointed professor at the Detmold University of Music. In 2003 he was appointed professor at the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf.
In 1997/98 he served as guest professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, the very institution where he had studied.
Additional guest lectureships and teaching appointments took him, among others, to the University of Music “Franz Liszt” in Weimar and the University of Music “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin, where he has been teaching continuously since 2006.
He is regularly invited to give masterclasses in Ankara, both at Ankara University and at the State Conservatory in Ankara. Further masterclasses have also taken him regularly to China.
In 2016 Helge Dorsch held masterclasses at the Opera Academy Schloss Henfenfeld, followed by a China tour with masterclasses and concerts in 10 different cities—the first tour of its kind in China. In April he returned to China to conduct the opening concert of Beijing’s new Opera House in the Century Hall. In May, he began conducting the farewell tour of the world-renowned tenor René Kollo, which led through numerous German cities, followed by gala concerts Italian Night with international opera stars and the Frankfurt Symphony Orchestra.
Also in 2016, the Opera and Concert Society Orpheus European Classics was founded, with Helge Dorsch appointed artistic director and chief conductor. Its first project was a Germany tour with a new production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute followed by guest performances in Italy.
This was followed by a tour with the German Tenors through several German cities and another masterclass at the International Opera Studio of the Berlin State Opera.
In 2016 Helge Dorsch was also appointed music director and chief conductor of the new Opera House in Beijing/China (Laiyin Opera House), which opened its 2016/17 season under his baton with a new production of Verdi’s La Traviata featuring an international cast.
As accompanist, he has worked with Hermann Prey, Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Katia Ricciarelli, Gwyneth Jones, James King, Francisco Araiza, Edith Mathis, Karl Ridderbusch, Oskar Hillebrandt, Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Ortrun Wenkel, Kurt Moll, among many others.
As a pianist he gained attention with the CD recording Liebestraum – Pearls of Romantic Piano Music.
As a composer, he has distinguished himself with internationally inspired song cycles such as the Mexican Songbook and the Brazilian, Anatolian, Haitian, and Greenlandic Songbooks, as well as the piano pieces On the Destroyed Environment, through which he advocates for the preservation of, among other things, the tropical rainforests in Brazil.
The international press praises not only Helge Dorsch’s meticulous and brilliant interpretations, but also his enthusiastic, spirited, and expressive musicianship, which brings new brilliance and vitality to every score.
Date
Mon, October 20, 2025, 12:00‒16:30
Venue
Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna, Concert Hall
Singerstraße 26, 1010 Vienna
Tickets
Free admission
Active participation only for MUK students.
Applications with sheet music of the chosen repertoire no later than October 5 to: gesang-oper@~@muk.ac.at