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Felix Hell |
The 24 year old German organ virtuoso Felix Hell is a phenomenon in several ways. Hailed as “most well known young concert organist worldwide” (Dr. John Weaver), and “undoubtedly one of the major talents of the century” (Dr. Frederick Swann, AGO president), he “sets standards that many established and honored older players would struggle to equal” (Michael Barone in “The American Organist”).
A liturgical organist since the age of eight, Felix has concertized in Germany and abroad since the age of nine, has already performed more than 650 recitals in his native Germany, as well as abroad since the age of nine, concertizing in countries such as Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Korea, Latvia, New Zealand, Norway, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, Russia, and the USA, where he performed more than 450 recitals in 44 states.
Orchestra performances have included concerts with the Charleston (SC) Symphony Orchestra, USA, and the National Academy Orchestra of Canada under Boris Brott, the McGill Chamber Orchestra (Montreal), and the New England Conservatory Philharmony, the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra under Norman Nunamaker, the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie under Michael Sanderling, and the Kurpfälzische Kammerorchester, Mannheim, Germany. In November 2004, Felix gave his debut performance in the famous Boston Symphony Hall.
Other career milestones include the performances of the entire organ work of Johann Sebastian Bach both in the USA and Germany in 2006 and 2007 three times and the performances of the organ works of Felix Mendelssohn in the USA and in Germany. |  |
He was privileged to perform in such prestigious places like:
Passau Cathedral (Hoher Dom zu Passau), Germany
Ulm Cathedral (Ulmer Muenster), Germany
Munich Cathedral (Frauenkirche), Germany
Speyer Cathedral, Germany
Cathedral of Hildesheim (Hoher Dom zu Hildesheim), Germany
Cathedral of St. Mauritius and St. Katharina, Magdeburg, Germany
Cathedral of St. Peter, Worms, Germany
University of Bochum, Auditorium Maximum, Germany
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York
National Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Washington D.C.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C.
First Congregational Church, Los Angeles
Broadway Baptist Church, Ft. Worth, Texas
Spivey Hall, Morrow (Atlanta), Georgia
Salt Lake Tabernacle
Spreckels Organ at Balboa Park, San Diego
Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts (Alice Tully Hall), New York
Boston Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Methuen Memorial Music Hall, Methuen, Massachusetts
City Hall, Merrill Auditorium, Portland, Maine
Irvine Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania
Wanamaker Organ, Philadelphia
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
(Verizon Hall, Dobson Organ)
Tschaikovskiy Concert Hall, St. Petersburg
Great Philharmonic Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia
Dome Cathedral, Riga, Latvia
Melbourne Town Hall, Australia
Sydney Opera House, Australia
Sydney Townhall, Australia
Adelaide Town Hall, Australia
Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway
Bergen Cathedral, Norway
Felix Hell was born on September 14, 1985, in Frankenthal/Pfalz, Germany. He took his first piano lesson at the age of seven, followed by his first organ lesson shortly after his eighth birthday. On Easter 1994, still eight years old, he performed in his first service as an liturgical organist. Also in 1994, he participated in the German competition for young musicians Jugend musiziertï, and was awarded with two First Prizes in organ playing, following by First Prizes in 1996 (piano solo), 1997 (organ solo) and 1999 (piano solo).
Felix Hell pursued his organ studies at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik in Heidelberg, studying with Johannes Michel and Christiane Michel-Ostertun. Additional coaching during this period of his education he received in courses with Professors Martin Lücker, Frankfurt; Pieter van Dijk, Amsterdam; Oleg Yantchenko, Moscow; Wolfgang Rübsam, Saarbrücken; Leo Krümer, Speyer; Franz Lehrndorfer, Munich; and Robert Griffith, Delaware/Ohio.
In September 1999 he enrolled at The Juilliard School, New York, where he had been awarded a merit-based full tuition scholarship. In September 2001 Felix Hell has been admitted, again under full tuition scholarship, at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he has been studying with Dr. John Weaver and Alan Morrison, with additional coaching/masterclasses with Professors Martin Jean, Marie-Claire Alain, Joan Lippincott and Gillian Weir. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in May 2004 at the age of 18 and became the youngest Organ Major ever to graduate from Curtis. His graduate studies Felix Hell is pursuing, under the guidance of Professor Donald Sutherland, at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, where he he received his Artist Diploma degree in May 2007and completed his studies with the Master of Music degree in 2008.
Felix Hell is member of the American Guild of Organists, the Organ Historical Society, the German Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde and the Organ Society of Sydney. He is Organ Artist Associate of St. Peters Lutheran Church in Manhattan, New York City, Distinguished Organist in Residence to the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, PA. Very recently he was appointed as Organ Instructor at the Sunderman Conservatory, Gettysburg, PA.
Felix Hells discography include eight CDs, critically acclaimed by the public as well as by experts. His music has been broadcast several times, including a 90 minute solo show, by PIPEDREAMS of Minnesota Public Radio (host: Michael Barone), as well as by radio stations of Germany, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and by the BBC in Great Britain. He was featured on TV at ABC and NBC, and the German TV stations ARD, ZDF, SWR, RTL, DW, SAT1, and 3SAT.
Felix Hell is under management of the Felix Hell Artist Management, Inc. of Medford, New Jersey, USA. |
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