Helena Gaunt PhD LGMS(PCS)

Helena Gaunt was appointed Assistant Principal in 2008. She is an oboist, having been a member of the Haffner Wind Ensemble and Britten Sinfonia, and continues to take an active role in the Wind, Brass and Percussion Department, teaching the oboe, mentoring, coaching chamber music, and directing ensembles.

Helena’s research focus is one-to-one instrumental/vocal tuition. Publications include articles for Psychology of Music and the British Journal of Music Education, and a forthcoming chapter "Individuality in the learning of musical skills" for Oxford University Press. She has been active in promoting professional development opportunities for teachers in conservatoires, and she directed the Reflective Conservatoire Conference: Apprentices and Sorcerers? at the Guildhall School in February 2006, and a second Reflective Conservatoire Conference: Building Connections in February/March 2009. She was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy in 2009.

Helena will be leading on specialist modules for conservatoire teachers developed in collaboration with the Institute of Education as part of Professional Certificate and Masters qualifications for teachers in Higher Education. She currently chairs the Innovative Conservatoire (ICON), an international group of conservatoires collaborating on enhancing one-to-one instrumental/vocal teaching and research, and the Research group of the Polifonia project for the Association of European Conservatoires (AEC). She is also on the Partners Board of the London Centre for Arts and Cultural Enterprise (LCACE - www.lcace.org.uk ).

Helena's interest in education took root when she set up the education department for the London Symphony Orchestra in 1989-90. Since then she has run workshops for several London orchestras, and has been involved as the oboe tutor for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. She has five children and lives in Finsbury Park, London.