Royal College of Music - Accelerate Award (2021)

Royal College of Music - Mercers’ Arts Award (2020)

Mario Lanza opera prize (2015)

Mario Lanza opera prize (2014)

Winifred Micklam Prize (2011)

Mezzo-soprano Helen Maree Cooper recently returned to Buxton International Festival to perform the role of Don Ettore in Haydn's La Canterina. She is currently at Wexford Festival Opera creating the role of Eithne Magee in Alberto Caruso's newly commissioned opera Lady Gregory in America, libretto by Colm Tóibín.

Other roles have included La suora infermiera in Puccini’s Suor Angelica (Wexford Festival Opera), Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel (Westminster Opera), and Second Witch and Spirit in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (If Opera). She also starred in the premiere of a new musical The Land of Might-Have-Been, playing Debutant / swing / cover Shirley & Stella (Buxton International Festival and Norwich Theatre).

Helen trained at the Royal College of Music and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Roles while training included Dritter Knabe Die Zauberflöte, Dorabella Così fan tutte, Hermia A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ruggiero Alcina, Tisbe & Cenerentola La Cenerentola, Radamisto Radamisto, Lel The Snow Maiden, Mrs Segstrom A Little Night Music, Sœur Mathilde Dialogues des Carmélites, Mercedes Carmen and La Libellule L’enfant et les sortilèges. She created the role of Louise for the premiere of Michael Wolter’s Ava’s Wedding.

Helen is an experienced dancer, having trained at the North London Dance Studio from the age of five and competing in the All England Dance Festivals. This training led her to dance the role of Tinkerbell’s animation silhouette in the world premiere Welsh National Opera production of Richard Ayres’ Peter Pan, directed by Keith Warner.

Helen’s solo oratorio repertoire includes Bach’s Johannes-Passion and Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and Vespers, Duruflé’s Requiem, and Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes. She has performed with contemporary music ensemble Festival Voices, the CBSO, and toured and broadcast across Europe as a member of the Philharmonia Chorus. Other professional engagements include contracts as a soloist and ensemble member with the Thursford Christmas Spectacular in 2015 and touring internationally with the Ida Girls.

Helen is Founder and Artistic Director of OperaEd, a London-based community arts organisation taking opera workshops and performances into primary schools. She has been awarded the Genesis Foundation Kickstart Award, RCM Mercers’ Arts Award, and RCM Accelerate grant to support her ongoing work in outreach and participation.

Helen has also assisted with the London Handel Festival’s learning and participation workshops, exploring Handel’s music with a group of students, created by Baroque cellist Lucia Capellaro.

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