BIOGRAPHY - HELENA GOURD, FLUTE

 

Helena grew up on the west coast of Scotland where she began her musical studies with flautist Louise Glanville.

 

As a junior academician at the RSAMD she studied with Sheena Gordon before moving to London and accepting a place at the Royal Academy of Music to study with Karen Jones and Samuel Coles. During her time there she was winner of the RAM Flute Competition as well as various other awards and prizes.

Studies in Bordeaux with Jutta Pulcini followed, generously supported by the Philharmonia Martins Music Scholarship Fund after winning their June Allison Woodwind Prize.

 

On returning to the UK, Helena gave her London recital debut at the Royal Festival Hall alongside pianist, Timothy End, before embarking on a freelance orchestral career.

 

Helena has worked with ensembles including the Hallé, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Opera House, the Philharmonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Opera North, Welsh National Opera, English Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra amongst others. She has also performed as guest principal flute with orchestras including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Northern Ballet, English National Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet and recently held trials with the English National Ballet and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra before accepting the position of principal flute no.2 with the Royal Northern Sinfonia in September 2021.

 

Recent performance highlights include a tour of Japan with the BBC SSO, recording Boulez’s solo work for flute, ‘Memoriale’ for BBC Radio 3 and playing for CD recordings of works by Debussy with the Hallé Orchestra under Sir Mark Elder. 

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