Helen Ostafew

COMPOSER •  SINGER • PIANIST •  VOCAL COACH •  CONDUCTOR

Helen Ostafew

COMPOSER •  SOPRANO • PIANIST •  VOCAL COACH •  CONDUCTOR

 '‘Helen Ostafew’s Requiem for Humanity is a beautifully haunting piece of music that has had a very positive response from listeners of both Radio 3 Breakfast and In Tune"                                                                                                        BBC Radio 3 Producer Martin Webb - 2019
‘Helen Ostafew’s Requiem for Humanity is a beautifully haunting piece of music that has had a very positive response from listeners of both Radio 3 Breakfast and In Tune’                                                                                              BBC Radio 3 Producer Martin Webb - 2019
‘Helen Ostafew’s Requiem for Humanity is a beautifully haunting piece of music that has had a very positive response from listeners of both Radio 3 Breakfast and In Tune’                                                                        BBC Radio 3 Producer Martin Webb - 2019

NEWS

Purbeck Arts Choir
St Mary's Church, Swanage - 25th Nov 2023

I am delighted that three movements from my Requiem for Humanity will be performed as part of this inspiring programme. Nestled amongst great composers like Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Cecilia McDowall, this evening will connect us across time and space through the universal language of melody and emotion. 

This concert will feature the captivating mezzo-soprano vocals of Grace Loveless, all under the skillful baton of conductor David Fawcett.




3-11-23 

Purbeck Arts Choir
St Mary's Church, Swanage - 25th Nov 2023

I am delighted that three movements from my Requiem for Humanity will be performed as part of this inspiring programme. Nestled amongst great composers like Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Cecilia McDowall, this evening will connect us across time and space through the universal language of melody and emotion. 

This concert will feature the captivating mezzo-soprano vocals of Grace Loveless, all under the skillful baton of conductor David Fawcett.




1-9-22
HOPES & DREAMS
"A programme full of vitality and beauty:
a vision of hope, and a dream of a brighter future"

Coming up on 1st and 2nd October I will join La Colombe in the Netherlands for performances of my Endymion, Requiem for Humanity with strings and piano and a new work. These concerts also have exciting new works from Dutch composers Henk Stoeten and Diederik van der Laag. 
 
Hope to see you there!
3-11-23 

 Purbeck Arts Choir
St Mary's Church, Swanage - 25th Nov 2023

I am delighted that three movements from my Requiem for Humanity will be performed as part of this inspiring programme. Nestled amongst great composers like Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Cecilia McDowall, this evening will connect us across time and space through the universal language of melody and emotion. 

This concert will feature the captivating mezzo-soprano vocals of Grace Loveless, all under the skillful baton of conductor David Fawcett.
3-11-23 

 Purbeck Arts Choir
St Mary's Church, Swanage - 25th Nov 2023

I am delighted that three movements from my Requiem for Humanity will be performed as part of this inspiring programme. Nestled amongst great composers like Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Cecilia McDowall, this evening will connect us across time and space through the universal language of melody and emotion. 

This concert will feature the captivating mezzo-soprano vocals of Grace Loveless, all under the skillful baton of conductor David Fawcett.




1-9-22

HOPES & DREAMS
"A programme full of vitality and beauty:
a vision of hope, and a dream of a brighter future"

Coming up on 1st and 2nd October I will join La Colombe in the Netherlands for performances of my Endymion, Requiem for Humanity with strings and piano and a new work. These concerts also have exciting new works from Dutch composers Henk Stoeten and Diederik van der Laag. 
 
Hope to see you there!

1-9-22
HOPES & DREAMS
"A programme full of vitality and beauty:
a vision of hope, and a dream of a brighter future"

Coming up on 1st and 2nd October I will join La Colombe in the Netherlands for performances of my Endymion, Requiem for Humanity with strings and piano and a new work. These concerts also have exciting new works from Dutch composers Henk Stoeten and Diederik van der Laag. 
 
Hope to see you there!

3-6-22

NEW CHORAL RELEASE - 14TH June

Do you love choral music? The second of two tracks,  Endymion: Responds, will be out soon! Performed by  Dutch choir La Colombe and with lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This is the second of two movements  about Endymion and Diana the Moon Goddess who watches him while he sleeps. This track will also be released on the full moon and the beautiful art work is by Welsh artist John Abell.

LISTEN

3-6-22

NEW CHORAL RELEASE - 14TH June

Do you love choral music? The second of two tracks,  Endymion: Responds, will be out soon! Performed by  Dutch choir La Colombe and with lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This is the second of two movements  about Endymion and Diana the Moon Goddess who watches him while he sleeps. This track will also be released on the full moon and the beautiful art work is by Welsh artist John Abell.

3-6-22

NEW CHORAL RELEASE - 14TH June


Do you love choral music? The second of two tracks,  Endymion: Responds, will be out soon! Performed by  Dutch choir La Colombe and with lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This is the second of two movements  about Endymion and Diana the Moon Goddess who watches him while he sleeps. This track will also be released on the full moon and the beautiful art work is by Welsh artist John Abell.

New sheet music! 
New sheet music! 
New sheet music! 

FIELDGATE MUSIC

I have been busy finishing works and am happy to say that two new songs are  available from the Fieldgate Music. "Infinity" has beautiful lyrics from William Blake and is for SATB and piano.  Endymion  has two movements for split a cappella with lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

BUY SHEET MUSIC

FIELDGATE MUSIC



I have been busy finishing works and am happy to say that two new songs are  available from the Fieldgate Music. "Infinity" has beautiful lyrics from William Blake and is for SATB and piano.  Endymion  has two movements for split a cappella with lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

BUY SHEET MUSIC

FIELDGATE MUSIC

I have been busy finishing works and am happy to say that two new songs are  available from the Fieldgate Music. "Infinity" has beautiful lyrics from William Blake and is for SATB and piano.  Endymion  has two movements for split a cappella with lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Online Workshops with The World Choir for Peace 
Online Workshops with The World Choir for Peace 
Online Workshops with The World Choir for Peace 

From meeting composers to practical workshops 

2021 has brought with it a series of free online workshops. As part of the WCP team I have had the pleasure of chatting to some of the composer greats of our present time including Sir Karl Jenkins and Sir James MacMillan. What an honour and inspiration!

World Choir for Peace - 
Sony Classical Album 
Ave Maria - RELEASE! 
"Peaceful Choir" - World Choir for Peace 
Here it is - my latest single Ave Maria which was released on the Sony Classical Album "Peaceful Choir" in September 2020. I'm thrilled with the response including over 85k listens on Apple and Spotify!

As a soprano in the WCP it's fantastic to see how well the album has been received, chosen as Apple "10 Classical Albums You Must Hear This Month" and Classic FM "Album of the Week". For most of us this was our last singing before the first lockdown and it was a moving experience, bringing together people from all over the world. We recorded in the last days before borders closed, finishing a day early so that we could all get home and recording until past midnight to finish. 
It was a unique experience to record at the Tonstudio Tessmar in Hannover. We stood in a circle using a new recording approach - 360° Reality Audio. We were joined by some fabulous Sony Classical Artists: Lavinia Meijer, Gereon Theis, Esther Abrami, Tim Allhoff and Josefa Schmidt. I had the pleasure of standing just in front of them and being enveloped in their sound - just had to remember to sing and not only enjoy listening ;-)

The album has some fabulous works from contemporary composers, including 12 new compositions or premieres some of which focus on current topics. There was a very moving commissioned work from Hauschka on the devastating bush fires in Australia "Fifteen Million Acres" and a vocal premiere from Hans Zimmer on the tragedy in Aurora. 
Ave Maria 
Chamber Choir of Europe

The Chamber Choir of Europe performed a beautiful try-out of my Ave Maria under the baton of Nicol Matt on May 20th in Mannheim, Germany. It was part of an international celebration concert for the 70th anniversary of the German Basic Law, under the patronage of Minister President Winfried Kretschmann. 

Featuring - REQUIEM FOR HUMANITY

SATB choral work

Requiem for Humanity is a mass which brings together world views on life and death.  It sets parts of the Latin mass alongside texts from Buddhism, Judaism, Daoism and Hinduism. It also incorporates inspirational quotes from Gandhi and poems by W. B. Yates and W. H. Auden.
It was premiered in the Netherlands in 2015 by Dutch chamber choir La Colombe who went on to record the work. Along with the CD release in 2015 they premiered the work in Germany. Since then it has been performed in the UK an d one of the songs, May God Remember, was chosen for BBC introducing in the West. 

This mass is a 40 minute work for SATB choir and soprano, alto and baritone soloists. It can be performed with piano or organ or an arrangement for string quintet and piano.

SATB choral work

Requiem for Humanity is a mass which brings together world views on life and death.  It sets parts of the Latin mass alongside texts from Buddhism, Judaism, Daoism and Hinduism. It also incorporates inspirational quotes from Gandhi and poems by W. B. Yates and W. H. Auden.
It was premiered in the Netherlands in 2015 by Dutch chamber choir La Colombe who went on to record the work. Along with the CD release in 2015 they premiered the work in Germany. Since then it has been performed in the UK and one of the songs, May God Remember, was chosen for BBC introducing in the West. 
This mass is a 40 minute work for SATB choir and soprano, alto and baritone soloists. It can be performed with piano or organ or an arrangement for string quintet and piano.

SATB choral work

Requiem for Humanity is a mass which brings together world views on life and death.  It sets parts of the Latin mass alongside texts from Buddhism, Judaism, Daoism and Hinduism. It also incorporates inspirational quotes from Gandhi and poems by W. B. Yates and W. H. Auden.


It was premiered in the Netherlands in 2015 by Dutch chamber choir La Colombe who went on to record the work. Along with the CD release in 2015 they premiered the work in Germany. Since then it has been performed in the UK and one of the songs, May God Remember, was chosen for BBC introducing in the West. 


This mass  is a 40 minute work for SATB choir and soprano, alto and baritone soloists. It can be performed with piano or organ or an arrangement for string quintet and piano.
"One can confidently place Helen Ostafew’s work alongside those of the popular contemporary English Choral works of John Tavener and John Rutter.”                                                                                                                 Jörg Leune, Grafschafter Nachrichten
"One can confidently place Helen Ostafew’s work alongside those of the popular contemporary English Choral works of John Tavener and John Rutter.” 
— Jörg Leune, Grafschafter Nachrichten 
"One can confidently place Helen Ostafew’s work alongside those of the popular contemporary English Choral works of John Tavener and John Rutter.”
— Jörg Leune, Grafschafter Nachrichten 
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