Swedish cellist Frans Helmerson began his musical training with Guido Vecchi in Gothenburg before going on to study with Giuseppe Selmi in Rome and William Pleeth in London. Sergiu Celibidache and his mentor Mstislav Rostropovich also played a very influential role in his artistic development. In 1971, he won the celebrated Cassado Competition in Florence, the first of many distinctions. His tours have taken him to other countries in Europe, as well as to Japan, Russia, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Frans Helmerson performs with many renowned orchestras and receives excellent reviews for his concerts and recordings. His recording of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra was recognized as the “best recording currently available on the market.” His recording of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 has also received high praise.
Frans Helmerson’s love for chamber music is another important driving force behind his musical activity. He is a regular guest at leading European festivals, such as the Verbier Festival, the Pablo Casals Festival in Prades, and the Ravinia Festival, and for many years he was artistic director of the Umea-Korsholm International Chamber Music Festival. In 2002 he co-founded the Michelangelo String Quartet.
In addition to his career as a soloist, chamber musician, and conductor, Frans Helmerson taught for several years as a professor at the conservatories of Cologne and Madrid. From 2011 to 2016, he taught as a guest professor at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. In 2016, he obtained an additional professorship at the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin. Frans Helmerson has been teaching in the Kronberg Academy’s study programs as a principal professor since 2006. He plays a cello by Stefan-Peter Greiner.