Breathe

An accidental encounter in a staircase in the Berlin borough of Pankow turned out to be the beginning of a close friendship. Karin Helmstaedt and Judith Engel discovered shared musical preferences and a repertoire entirely their own. The result was the project breathe.

Their first programme, presented in June 2001, was called "Our Favorites" and consisted exclusively of cover versions. At that point Rainer Schnös stepped in as arranger and producer. Together they composed songs of their own and rehearsed them with visiting musicians. After numerous performances breathe returned to its “birthplace”, Pankow, in November 2003 to make its debut as a fully-fledged band.

Karin Helmstaedt
Studied literature in Montreal, Toronto and Paris.
Worked as a freelance journalist and presenter from 1993. Made her home in Berlin in 1998.

Judith Engel
Underwent classical voice training in Berlin und has been been active in Berlin on a freelance and regular basis since 1992 (Deutsche Oper; Rundfunkchor Berlin).

Rainer Schnös
Studied music in Essen and Hamburg, has been a member of the Rundfunkchor Berlin since 2001.

For further information see www.breathe-online.de