Helmut Koch (conductor)

Helmut Koch
Koch in 1955
Born	(1908-04-05)5 April 1908 Barmen, Germany
Died	26 January 1975(1975-01-26) (aged 66) East Berlin, East Germany
Education	Rheinische Musikschule Folkwang Hochschule
Occupations	Conductor Composer Academic teacher
Organizations	Berliner Rundfunk Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Staatsoper Berlin Berliner Singakademie
Awards	National Prize of the GDR Handel Prize Vaterländischer Verdienstorden

Helmut Koch (5 April 1908 – 26 January 1975) was a German conductor, choir leader, composer, and academic teacher. He was recording manager for the Berliner Rundfunk from 1945, where he founded the Solistenvereinigung Berlin, the Kammerorchester Berlin and the Großer Chor des Berliner Rundfunks. He conducted a recording of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo in 1949, and later also contemporary classical music by composers including Hanns Eisler, Fritz Geißler, Ernst Hermann Meyer and Ruth Zechlin. He was professor at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" from its beginning. After working as a regular guest conductor at the Staatsoper Berlin, he became Generalmusikdirektor. He was the first conductor of the Berliner Singakademie in East Berlin, and held the position until his death.