Helena with Malvern College Pupils

The school was delighted by a recent visit from Helena Gaunt, granddaughter of H.C.A. Gaunt who lead the school as Headmaster from 1937 to 1953. The Music department was particularly excited as Helena is an accomplished Oboe player and had come to offer her expertise to the pupils.

Having read English at King’s College, Cambridge Helena attained an MA in Sociology of Literature at Essex University. Following this she studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for a year on the postgraduate Performance and Communications Skills Course. She has studied the oboe with Tess Miller, Celia Nicklin, Helmut Winschermann and Nicholas Daniel.

The Headmaster, Hugh Carson was very pleased to welcome Helena and her father David Gaunt. After a brief tour of the school the visit culminated in the music department where Helena met with pupils and gave them some informal tuition. Iain Sloan, Head of Music, said “It was wonderful for the students to meet with Helena. She really has encouraged and inspired them.” 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 is currently on the education advisory panel for the Britten Sinfonia.


Helena Gaunt MA LGSM (PCS)
Currently a course tutor at the Guildhall, Helena co-ordinates the oboe department and the wind, brass and percussion PDOT course, and is actively involved in the teaching skills, chamber music, music studies and performance and communications skills programmes. She is also undertaking a research project into methods of teaching and learning breath control for oboe and flute players. In the last few months she has also been involved as the oboe tutor for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and has been teaching at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
Helean has three children and lives in London.

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