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The German harpsichordist, fortepianist, conductor and music pedagogue, Michael Biehl, studied harpsichord at the Musikhochschule Münster, where he passed the artistic maturity examination in 1992 with the grade "Very Good". At the same time he studied musicology, philosophy and German studies at the Westfälischen-Wilhelms-Universität. From 1993 to 2018 he lived in Basel, where he completed postgraduate studies in fortepiano and harpsichord with Andreas Staier and Jean Goverts at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. He graduated in 1997 with the diploma for historical keyboard instruments "with distinction". He also studied figured bass with Jesper Christensen.
In addition to his predominantly solo activity, Michael Biehl is a sought-after chamber music partner, Lieder accompanist and continuo player on historical keyboard instruments. He gave recitals with Maria Cristina Kiehr, Kurt Widmer, played with Emma Kirkby, Nuria Rial and Cecilia Bartoli and under conductors such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, William Christie, Marc Minkowski, Christopher Hogwood and Paul Goodwin. Engagements have taken him to important European festivals, including the Folles journées in Nantes, Hallischen-Händel-Festspiele, and Internationales Bachfest Schaffhausen.
In addition to CD and radio recordings, Michael Biehl took part in television productions. For WDR he was the harpsichordist in the film Aus der Fuge ger@ten in the Bach year 2000, and in 2001 the leading actor in the French film L'île des orgues, a feature film documentary about the Corsican organ landscape by Télé France. In 2000 he was awarded the Fritz-Neumeyer-Preis, a prize for players of historical keyboard instruments.
Since 2002 Michael Biehl has been teaching harpsichord and fortepiano as well as figured bass, chamber music and lieder on historical keyboard instruments at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste. From 2011 to 2014 he headed the Early Music department there, and since 2014 the studio for historical performance practice. He has lived in France since 2018. |
