Helen Ostafew is a versatile British composer, singer, pianist, and conductor whose music reflects a unique fusion of classical, folk, world, and film music influences. Currently serving as Composer-in-Residence for the innovative world choir Konekto, Helen is creating dynamic, original works for a variety of global projects.
Her compositions have gained international recognition, including Ave Maria, recorded by the World Choir for Peace and featured on a Sony Classical album called "Peaceful Choir", released in September 2020. Another of her notable works, the two-movement Endymion, was released by the Dutch chamber choir La Colombe in 2022. Her ambitious choral masterpiece, Requiem for Humanity, is a profound exploration of life and death through the lens of diverse world traditions. Incorporating Buddhist, Daoist, and Jewish texts alongside parts of the Latin Mass and quotes from figures like Gandhi, the piece premiered in 2015 and has since been performed extensively across Europe. It has also been showcased on BBC Radio 3, including as part of BBC Introducing.
As a performer, Helen is a soprano with Konekto, under the baton of Alex Koller, and sings with renowned ensembles such as the World Choir for Peace and the Chamber Choir of Europe. She regularly participates in tours, workshops, and concerts across Europe. Recent highlights include One World in Germany and Linz, Austria with Sir Karl Jenkins, and performances with John Rutter during his European Church Music Prize celebrations. Helen also toured with Morten Lauridsen in Germany for the release of the Chamber Choir of Europe’s Light Eternal album.
Helen's musical journey began at the age of four, studying violin and piano with Brendan Ashe. She earned a BMus (Hons) degree from the University of Leeds, majoring in Classical Singing with minors in Piano and Composition under the guidance of Philip Wilby. Her studies included a formative year at Enschede Music Conservatory in the Netherlands, where she worked with composer David Roland.
During her nine years in the Netherlands, Helen performed extensively with professional project choirs such as Consensus Vocalis and La Colombe, while also appearing as a soprano soloist. Highlights of her time in the Netherlands include performing Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the Münster Open Air Festival in Germany. Earlier in her career, she sang with The Orlando Singers, toured France and Prague, and performed with esteemed ensembles such as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and ELO.