Information
- Dmitri Shostakovich - Sonata for Cello in D Minor, Op. 40
- Alfred Schnittke - Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1
- Igor Stravinsky - Suite italienne, K034b
- Mieczysław Weinberg - Sonata for Cello No. 2, Op. 63
- Sergei Prokofiev - Sonata for Cello in C Major, Op. 119
- Sergei Rachmaninov - Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 19
Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, cello
Martin Helmchen, piano
Date: 2025
Label: Alpha Classics
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Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, born in 1987 in Zwickau, Germany, is a renowned cellist who gained international acclaim after winning first prize at the 2005 Concours de violoncelle Rostropovitch in Paris. Starting cello at age five, she trained at the Robert-Schumann-Konservatorium and later with Professor Peter Bruns. She has won numerous youth competitions and performed with major orchestras, including a notable 2010 gala with Staatskapelle Berlin under Daniel Barenboim. A former “Junge Wilde” artist at Theater Dortmund, Hecker is celebrated for her expressive musicianship. She is married to pianist Martin Helmchen, with whom she has three daughters.
Martin Helmchen, born in 1982, is a leading German pianist known for his expressive depth and technical mastery. He has performed with top orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, and New York Philharmonic, under conductors like Blomstedt, Gergiev, and Nelsons. Passionate about chamber music, he collaborates with artists including his wife, cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker. An exclusive Alpha Classics artist, Helmchen has recorded acclaimed works by Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms, earning awards like the Gramophone Award and ICMA. He studied with Galina Iwanzowa and Arie Vardie, and has taught at the Kronberg Academy since 2010.
