Helen Keen – Flute

Instrument / Skill

Flute/Piccolo

Biography

Helen was principal piccolo with the Royal Philharmonic orchestra until 2019.  During her time there, as well as playing guest principal flute, she was very active in their outreach and community programme, working with vulnerable adults, prisoners and stroke patients.  She now has (even despite Covid!) a busy professional life as a session musician.  Helen can be heard playing Chinese and Indian flutes, as well as the classical flute family, on many James Bond and Harry Potter scores, and features on Lord of the Rings playing Irish fifes.

She loves teaching, and since 2012 she has been a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. Since moving to Folkestone in 2019 she has been thrilled to join in the musical life of the town.  Performances so far have been mainly in gardens and round the back of Big Boys Burgers, but she is looking forward to experiencing other venues, and getting together with other Folkestone musicians, maybe even indoors!

Away from the flute, Helen enjoys studying Chinese, eating at Rock Salt and solving cryptic crosswords.