Helen Neilson - cello

Helen is an active freelance performer and cello tutor based in London. As a chamber musician and soloist, Helen has appeared at a number of festivals around the UK, including the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Perth Festival of the Arts and St Endellion Festival, as well as a number of London venues including St James’ Piccadilly, Leighton House and the National Gallery. Her forthcoming recording, “Secret Doors” on the music-chamber label with the work of young British contemporary composer, Daniel Hewson, was released in November 2007. This was invited after a performance of the piece “Secret Doors” for cello and piano, commissioned for her MMus final recital. She appeared as soloist with St Paul’s Sinfonia in November 2007 performing the Elgar Cello Concerto.

Helen holds teaching positions at some of London’s most prestigious schools including St Pauls School for Girls and Newton Preparatory School where she has a thriving class of young cellists. She is also in demand as a guest speaker at conferences, and has presented her research into the use of the self in performance at international conferences on health and the performing arts and at the Kingston Cello Festival.

Previous studies include BSc (Hons) Music and Mathematics at the University of Leeds where she studied with Anna Shuttleworth, and PGDip Adv in Orchestral Studies at the Royal College of Music. Helen played as principal cellist of the Royal College of Music Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. She also freelances with various London Orchestras including the City of London Sinfonia, the New London Orchestra and Camarata of London. She holds string quartet prizes from both the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music. Her RCM studies were generously supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.

Helen grew up in a musical family in Perth, Scotland, where she frequently heard her mother, a singer, and her father, a pianist, making music at home and on stages around Scotland and beyond. Away from the cello, Helen loves shopping, travelling, climbing mountains and good conversation.