Helga Termer

Born: June 25, 1938 - Berlin, Germany

The German soprano, Helga Termer, studied singing in Berlin with the teachers Rudolf Will, Elisabeth Rose und Rita Meinl-Weise. After further training from 1959 to 1961 at the Opera Studio of Berlin State Opera her actual singing career took place.

In 1961 Helga Termer made her debut at the State Theatre of Schwerin as Nannetta in Verdi’s Falstaff. From 1965 to 1970 she was engaged at the State Theatre of Potsdam. Since 1971 she was a member of the State Opera of Dresden, where she participated in 1973 in the premiere of the opera Levins Mühle, and in 1976 in Der Schuhu und die fliegende Prinzessin (in the title role) by Udo Zimmermann. She won in 1969 Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau, in 1970 the National Competition in Berlin and in the same year the Ferenc Erkel Concurs in Budapest. She made guest appearances at the Berlin State Opera, at the Opera of Leningrad, and at the Music Festival of Wiesbaden. Further appearances, mostly with the Dresden Ensemble, at the National Operas of Prague and Budapest and in Lausanne.

Helga Termer’s rich repertoire consisted of coloratura and lyric soprano parts. Apart from her Mozart roles, she also sang Mrs. Fluth in Nicolai’s Lustigen Weibern von Windsor, Ännchen in Freischütz, Baronin in Wildschütz by Lortzing, Nedda in Bajazzo, the four women characters in Hoffmanns Erzählungen, Adina in Elisir d'amore (1962, Berlin State Opera), and Gilda in Rigoletto.

Helga Termer had great success as a concert soprano. She sang Lieder in the Soviet Unions, and in Amsterdam she sang the soprano in Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244).

Since 1975 Helga Termer worked as a teacher at the Music College of Dresden, and since 1985 she taught in the Opera Studio of the Dresden State Opera. She often appeared under the name Helga Termer-Zimmer.

Recordings: Eterna (Der zerbrochene Krug by Z. Vostrák), Philips (Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244)), Supraphon (Messe As-Dur by Schubert).