After studying oboe and conducting, Michael Helmrath began his musical career as an oboist which led to his being appointed as principal oboist with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and Sergiu Celibidache, who promoted Michael Helmrath as a conductor and granted him his own series of concerts.

He worked as an assistant for Sergiu Celibidache, Leonard Bernstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Dmitri Kitajenko, Valery Gergejew and Semyon Bychkow.

Since 1997, Michael Helmrath is persistently conducting the Dresdner Sinfoniker, a highly profiled orchestra entirely dedicated to contemporary music and crossover-projects.

From 2000 until 2015 he was „Generalmusikdirektor“ with the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra, which under his conduct was nominated „orchestra of the year“ by the „Opernwelt“.

Michael Helmrath was invited by orchestras and theatres in Europe and abroad (amongst others Staatskapelle Dresden, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Radio Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio Philharmonie Hannover, Guerzenich Orchestra Cologne, Nuernberg Symphony Orchestra, Staatsorchester Wiesbaden, Philharmonie Halle, German Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Sanremo, China National Orchestra Beijing, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic Ochestra, Gwangju Symphonic Orchestra, Opera Cologne, Croatian National Theatre Zagreb, Opera Rijeka, State Opera Wiesbaden, Hans-Otto-Theatre Potsdam, Ljubljana Festival, Miskolc Opera Festival). 

His production of Poulenc‘s „Les Dialogues des Carmélites“ at the Zagreb National Theatre has been awarded several times („Best musical event of the year“, „Best opera-production in Croatia“).

Numerous radio and television recordings, as well as CD productions, reveal his work as a conductor. (see Diskographie)

Michael Helmrath will be musical director with the Theater Nordhausen / Loh-Orchester Sondershausen, beginning with the season 2016 / 17.