Axel Bergstedt

Who is Axel Bergstedt?

Axel Bergstedt is a German conductor and composer currently living in Brazil.

He lived in front of the famous old Cathedral of Ratzeburg, a well known Lutheran church. It is a center of church music, and conductor and organist Neithard Bethke became the beloved teacher of the young Axel. Famous musicians like Peter Hurford or Helen Donath or the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields came to the cathedral, invited by Neithard Bethke. Later Axel studied Church Music and Conductor in Hamburg, with conductor Klauspeter Seibel and organist Heinz Wunderlich.

In 1985 he became the conductor of the Hamburger Bachorchester, dedicated to church music of the 18th century, associated with choir and children's choir. He is also the composer of the musical Ronja Räubertochter, with orchestra and 120 people on-stage.

In 1994 he was invited for the first time to Brazil. After marrying a Brazilian woman he decided to live in Belo Horizonte and Vitoria, in Brazil. In 2001 he started working on social projects.

In 2004 the Lutheran church of Brazil invited him for a new project in Cariacica, a region of simple workers. He wrote many compositions and arrangements for the new project. Well known are his "Louva ao Senhor" and "Aquecendo Corações", the Brazilian version of "Let our hearts burn", from his "Aquecendo Corações" CD.