Felix Hell Plays the Rieger-Kloss Organ | J.S. Bach: Wachet Auf, Air on the G String; Boellmann, Buxtehude, Dupré, Gigout, Reger and Widor

Product Description

Felix Hell was born in 1985, in Frankenthal/Pfalz, Germany. He took his first piano lesson at the age of seven, after having heard the C-Major Prelude, WTK-I, of J.S.Bach. He played it from memory after a few days listening to it and observing the piano player. Only eight months later, September 1993, he took his first organ lesson. Already in spring 1994, just 7 months after his first organ lesson, he participated in the Federal German competition for young musicians ‘Jugend musiziert', and received two First Prizes in organ playing. On Easter 1994, still eight years old, he was on duty in his first service as a liturgical organist, playing the organ at a Roman Catholic High Mass. The following years Felix Hell continued to take First Prizes in the German competition ‘Jugend musiziert': 1996 two First Prizes in piano playing, 1997 two First Prizes in organ playing and in 1999 again two First Prizes in piano playing. His organ studies Felix pursued, after initial studies with Eckard Mayer, at the Evangelical University of Church Music in Heidelberg/Germany with Johannes Michel (organ literature) and Prof. Christiane Michel (Improvisation). Additional coaching in this period of his education Felix Hell received in courses with Professors Martin Lücker, Frankfurt; Pieter van Dijk, Amsterdam; Oleg Yantchenko ; Moscow, Wolfgang Rübsam, Chicago; Leo Krämer, Speyer; Franz Lehrndorfer, Munich; Robert Griffith, Delaware/Ohio; from the very beginning, Felix Hell's piano teacher has been Prof. Siegbert Panzer, German State Academy of Music, Mannheim.

Review

German organist Felix Hell is a top-flight organist. [5-Stars] –Audiophile Audition

The performances are assured and technically fine. –American Record Guide

His undoubted talent and old-school American training have left him with a virtuosic technique capable of tackling all the major romantic and 20th century repertoire –MusicWeb International