Helmut Eisel
Biography Helmut Eisel
Helmut Eisel
is considered one of the most versatile and interesting klezmer clarinetists in Europe today.
From the roots of traditional brass music, jazz, klezmer, and classical music, he has developed his own unique, distinctive style. Communication between the musicians, but also with the audience, is always a top priority.
If that doesn't put you in a good mood and delight the audience with top-notch entertainment! Once again, Helmut Eisel cheerfully mediates between styles and cultures with his "Talking Clarinet." He tells his audience stories through his music – joyful, melancholic, irresistibly seductive. And all of this at the highest musical level!
"I don't make music. The music is already there, in every moment. First, I hear it within myself, then I transfer it to my clarinet to share it with my listeners. It arises in the here and now, in the lively encounter with another person. Music is language and yet says much more than any words." Helmut Eisel
The idea of telling stories, scolding, comforting, laughing, and crying with the clarinet has fascinated Helmut Eisel since childhood. When he learned the basics of playing the clarinet from his grandfather, he discovered the diverse expressive possibilities of this instrument.
His encounter with Giora Feidman in 1989 was formative. From him, Helmut Eisel learned about klezmer music and its deep spiritual meaning. It became the inspiration for numerous of his own pieces and improvisations – Helmut Eisel's talking clarinet was born. Just like Feidman, Helmut Eisel uses his clarinet like a human voice, establishing intense communication with the audience. Through his improvisations, spontaneous dialogues even arise in his concerts – with fellow musicians and, occasionally, even with the audience.