Erin Helyard

Praised as a virtuosic and eloquent soloist as well as an inspired and versatile conductor, Erin Helyard is at the forefront of a new generation of young musicians who are inspired by the latest musicological and historical enquiry. Erin graduated in harpsichord performance from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with first-class honours and the University Medal. He completed his Masters in 2005 in fortepiano performance and a PhD in Musicology in 2012 with Tom Beghin at the Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal. He was named the Westfield Concert Scholar on fortepiano for 2009-2010 and from 2003 to 2012 Erin was a central member of the award-winning Montreal-based Ensemble Caprice. In Sydney, Erin is artistic director and founder of Pinchgut Opera and the Orchestra of the Antipodes. He has conducted from the keyboard acclaimed performances of Purcell’s Fairy Queen (Montreal Baroque Festival), Cavalli’s L’Ormindo, Purcell’s Dioclesian, Vivaldi’s Griselda, Cavalli’s Giasone, Salieri’s The Chimney Sweep, Vivaldi’s Bajazet, Grétry’s L’amant jaloux (Pinchgut), Handel’s Acis and Galatea (NZ Opera), Handel’s Orlando (Hobart Baroque), Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and Handel’s Faramondo and Agrippina (Brisbane Baroque). Both Faramondo and Agrippina won Best Opera at the Helpmann Awards in 2015 and 2016. Erin has appeared as guest conductor and keyboard soloist with the Australian Haydn Ensemble and is a Senior Lecturer in Musicology and Historical Performance at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne, and appears by kind courtesy of that institution.