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The German baritone, Wolfgang Hellmich, sang as a boy in the Dresdner Kreuzchor. He studied singing at the Carl Maria von Weber-Musikhochschule in Dresden, where his main teacher was by Helga Fischer.
Wolfgang Hellmich made his debut in 1960 at the Stadttheater of Zittau as Ottokar in Freischütz. From 1962 to 1966 he sang in Dessau and from 1966 at the Staatsoper Dresden. Since he had become a member of the Dresdner Staatsoper, his name became widely known. He worked there in the world premiere of the opera Levins Mühle by Udo Zimmermann (March 21, 1973). He also appeared regularly on the Staatsoper Berlin and the Opera of Leipzig, and had guest performances at the Opera Houses of Leningrad, Prague, Lausanne, Wiesbaden and Budapest. He appeared on stage in a vast repertoire that included mainly buffo roles.
Wolfgang Hellmich was also renowned concert singer. Concert tours have taken him to the Soviet Union, India and Ceylon. Since 1974 he teaches at the Musikhochschule of Dresden. Until 1981 he was a member of the Dresdner Oper, and after that continued to sing as a guest. On September 28, 1985, he sang at the Staatsoper Berlin in the world premiere of Judith by Siegfried Matthus the role of Kämmerers; in the 1988-1989 season he appeared at the Komischen Oper Berlin as Don Carlos in The Stone Guest by Alexander Dargomizhky/Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; in 1993 as Alfonso in W.A. Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.
Recordings: on Eterna (Die Kluge by Carl Orff, scenes from the Meistersinger and Judith by Siegfried Matthus). On DGG he sang Steuermann in a complete recording of Tristan und Isolde. |
