I fell in love with music as a kid through my selfbuild radios, my parents’ vinyls and the local brass bands in my small East German home town. Electronic bricolage was my first passion and remained a creative element in my later orchestra and choral music. I started making music on the guitar, later learned clarinet and moved on to drums and a little (poor) bit piano. Being a self-taught composer, I was honored to see my debut album Pocket Symphonies being released on the renowned Deutsche Grammophon label.
My works have been staged by artist like BBC Singers, Fauré Quartett, cellist Jan Vogler and conductor Kristjan Järvi. On stage, I perform live-electronics and percussion alongside the ensembles.
For 17 years already, I work regularly with Industrial-Metal band Rammstein and british Pop icons Pet Shop Boys. I orchestrated their ballet The Most Incredible Thing, premiered at Sadler’s Wells/London, as well as A Man from the Future, premiered at Royal Albert Hall/London. Beside making music, I host a weekly radio show called Schöne Töne on Berlin’s Radio 1, celebrating music history and contemporary artists.
What the press says:
«… classical music language with a laid-back, postmodern sensibility.»
The Times
«Listening to Sven Helbig, you can hear the turn of the universe. It’s astonishing, and has far more in common with the atmospheric post-rock of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, or the mesmerizing elegance of Sigur Rós than with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth.»
Drowned in Sound
«Helbig is a master at evoking a rich convoy of textures, moods and emotions with a minimum of notes.»
The Gramophone