Helena Rathbone
violin

Helena Rathbone grew up in North London, where she studied violin at the Royal College of Music Junior department with Dona Lee Croft, and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with David Takeno. She performed with ensembles including the Academy of St Martin in the Fields before joining Australian Chamber Orchestra as Principal Violin.

Helena regularly performs as soloist and guest leader with the ACO. She has performed as Guest Concertmaster with international orchestras including the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and has appeared at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Four Winds Bermagui, Christchurch Arts Festival, Sangat Chamber Music Festival (Mumbai) and IMS Prussia Cove.

Helena is actively involved in the ACO’s Learning & Engagement program and is director of ACO Collective. She has also been a tutor and chamber orchestra director at the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camps.

Helena plays the 1732 ‘ex-Dollfus’ Stradivarius violin, kindly on loan from an anonymous private benefactor.