Helen Benson

Helen Benson was appointed Principal Piccolo of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 2022 and enjoys a varied career both performing and teaching. She has appeared as guest Principal Piccolo with several of the UK’s leading orchestras including London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and is a regular performer with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

Helen grew up on the south coast of England and studied flute at Chetham’s School of Music with Gitte Marcusson and Guildhall School of Music & Drama with Sarah Newbold, Sam Coles, Philippa Davies, Ian Clarke and Averil Williams. Shortly after graduating she was appointed Principal Piccolo of Monterrey Symphony Orchestra, Mexico. From 2006 to 2011 she then lived in Mexico City, enjoying a varied orchestral career with Mexico City Philharmonic, Mexico State Symphony Orchestra, Minería Symphony Orchestra, Camerata de las Américas and Bellas Artes Opera and Chamber Orchestras. She was also a founding member of the chamber ensemble, Camerístas de México, with whom she made several recordings and toured central America.

In 2012 Helen moved back to Europe to undertake a Master of Fine Arts degree in symphonic playing at the Swedish National Orchestra Academy in Gothenburg. She studied flute with Håvard Lysebo and piccolo with Andrew Cunningham and during her time living in Sweden was a regular guest with both Gothenburg Symphony and Opera Orchestras and Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.

From 2014 to 2022 Helen held the 2nd Flute position of the Oslo Philharmonic. Throughout her years in Norway she also had the opportunity to perform with Bergen Philharmonic, the Norwegian Radio, Opera and Chamber Orchestras, Oslo Kammerakademi and the contemporary music group Ensemble Temporum.

Helen is a passionate advocate for the piccolo in both performance and education and loves helping flute-players develop into equally skilled and confident piccolo-players! As well as her position as a piccolo tutor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Helen has been a visiting piccolo teacher at both Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music.

Helen plays a hand-crafted Anton Braun “small flute” piccolo.