Born in Linz, after attending the
Schottengymnasium in Vienna, Hellsberg studied
musicology and ancient history at the
University of Vienna, where he received his doctorate in 1980. At the same time he studied violin at the
University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. He was a special forces soldier, a member of the
Jagdkommando with the
Bundesheer. In 1976 he was employed by the orchestra of the
Vienna State Opera, and from 1978 played as first violinist in the orchestra of the same opera house. The Philharmonic recorded him in 1980. From 1997 to 2014 he succeeded
Werner Resel on the board of directors. In September 2014,
Andreas Großbauer succeeded him in this function. In 2016 he went into retirement. Hellsberg also gained fame through his book
Democracy of the Kings, published in 1992. The
Austrian Green party published this history of the Vienna Philharmonic because of what they saw as omissions, from the official narrative, of elements of
Nazism in the past of the Vienna Philharmonic. He has been a member of the Catholic student fraternity of the since 1974. == Publications ==