|
The German conductor, Frank Mehlfeld and organist, initially studied church music with a major in choir conducting and organ at the Kath. Hochschule für Kirchenmusik St. Gregorius in Aachen. He received a Master of Arts from the Musikhochschule Trossingen, combined with stays in Rome and Berlin. Studies in organ improvisation with Martin Schmeding and Theodor Flury in Lucerne/Einsiedeln followed. His university training in choir conducting with Beat Schäfer and Markus Utz and in orchestra conducting with Daniel Schmid and Marc Kissoczy in Zürich gave him formative experiences. Master-classes with Frieder Bernius in Stuttgart and Daniel Roth in Paris, among others, complemented his varied studies.
Frank Mehlfeld was assistant to Neithard Bethke at Ratzeburger Dom, assistant to the organ maintenance management at Orgelbau Kuhn AG and a full-time church musician in Aachen, Linnich and Sendenhorst. Since August 2008 he has been Music Director at the Stadtkirche St. Johann in Rapperswil on Lake Zürich and is responsible for all musical matters. He founded the ensembles Coro piccolo castello/Camerata castello (since 2011) with modern instruments and the Coro Canto (since December 2021), which is dedicated to Baroque performance practice. His interpretations of outstanding works in music history, such as J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor BWV 232, Matthäus-Passion BWV 244, Johannes-Passion BWV 245 and Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248; W.A. Mozart's Requiem; Franz Schubert's the E flat major Mass; Felix Mendelssohn's symphony cantata Lobgesang; and Johannes Brahms' Deutschen Requiems have been praised superlatives by audiences and the press.
Frank Mehlfeld works with colleagues from the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Musikhochschulen Stuttgart and Köln, Tonhalle- und Opernorchesters Zürich, Jugendensemble «Stringendo» Zürich, Ensemble La Compagna Zürich and Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung St. Gallen, among others, to realize his musical vision.
In addition to his artistic and church music work, his passion is coaching talented students. In collaboration with universities, Frank Mehlfeld enables them to gain practical experience with choirs of different levels and repertoires, and encourages and challenges them in all the professional dimensions required of a prospective choir and orchestra conductor. He particularly encourages young people to engage in constructive self-criticism.
For Frank Mehlfeld, music is the constant search for the perfect sound, for the moment when music, performers and audience become approachable. He gives everything for this moment, his personality, stamina, emotionality, his ability to motivate and carry people along and - where necessary - to fight. Mainstream music bores him; for him, the interpretation developed from intensive study of the score means personal authenticity. |
