Broadway Singing with Dr. Hoi lam I.

As a vocalist, pianist, dancer, songwriter, lyrics writer, and actress, Helena got her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Vocal Performance, from the Arizona State University, and is a student of American tenor David Britton. She was also awarded her Master in Music (voice), by the Univers ity of Texas (El Paso). Before the 11 years of work and study in the United States, she studied voice, tap, ballet, and jazz dance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, graduating with her Bachelor of Music (Voice) with Honors Degree, and a Music (Voice) Performance Diploma. She was awarded at an early age, the ATCL and LTCL licenses in Voice from the Trinity College of Music, London, grade 8 certificates in Voice, Piano and Music Theory with distinctions from the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, London, as well as the Teacher Certificate of the Japan YAMAHA Electone Piano Improvisation. Helena won 11 different open class 1st Prizes in Art Song, Musical Theater and Opera singing competitions, organized by the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, and the Hong Kong Youth Singing Festival, including the Open Class Barbra Fei’s Art Song Trophy with scholarship, the Open Class Musical Theater Trophy, as well as the Open Class Warren Mok Opera Trophy with scholarships. The Hong Kong Playground Association also awarded her with a certificate of one of the most outstanding teens in the Hong Kong Outstanding Teens Election in year 2002. Later on, she represented Hong Kong and sang as one of the finalists at the 2nd stage in the 3rd International Madama Butterfly Concours in Nagasaki, Japan in year 2009. Helena is also the recipient of two 2nd prizes in the Graduate Students Division singing audition of the Rio Grande Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) in the United States in year 2009-2010. In 2017, as a winner of Miss Chinese Talent International (Global) Competition, Helena represented as Miss USA (Phoenix) and was awarded Champion in the global competition. Helena previously appeared singing the national anthem on CNN in 2012 for the United States National G.O.P Presidential Debate, which the event was aired on TV nationally throughout the United States. Helena is an active vocalist in Arizona although she just currently graduated from the Arizona State University in fall 2015. She has started working with local composer William Clay on the premier of the original chamber opera – Mignon, playing the lead role Mignon, and also working in the production as a stage director and producer of the opera. In fall 2016, she also collaborated with the Phoenix Arts Museum and their sponsor, Friends of European Arts at their East Meets West Salon and performed the lead role Madama Butterfly at the event. In the same year, she also gave a mini recital for the production of the movie - Friday’s Child (renamed as Age Out), by the OnBuzz film company in Austin Texas and received great reviews from Allen Elias, the CEO and director of the company. As far as opera and musical performances, Helena worked as a contracted singer with the El Paso Opera as an understudy and a young artist program lead, for the dramatic soprano role Madam Butterfly (Cio Cio San) as well as the role cousin in Opera Madam Butterfly, working with Maestro Ari Pelto and Director Mr. David Grabarkewitz, who previously received an Emmy award for producing and directing this particular opera with the New York City Opera in 2008. Other lead roles she played including Silverpeal in Impresario (EPO), Susannah in Susannah (UT-EP), soloist in Desperately Seeking Miss Blossom (Hong Kong Dance Company), Lisinga in Le Cinesi (HKAPA), Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi (HKAPA), Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, and dancer in Aida (OHK), etc. In year 2006, she was invited to sing the lead role in an original production by the Music Magic Theater Hong Kong - Christmas on Valentine’s Day. Moreover, Helena had also performed as a volunteer artist in charity concerts of the Evangel Hospital and the Arts for charity Foundation in Hong Kong for years. In October 2016, she was interviewed by MCTV Cox digital channel 115, in the talk show Best Take, and was also asked to perform a short excerpt of her outstanding operatic vocal ability in the show. She was also interviewed by Apple Daily (HK), StarsHK (HK), and FengShang Fashion vol. 53 (China) about her champion victory in Miss Chinese Talent International Competition, representing as Miss USA. In fall 2016, Helena played a lead role in short film Abigail’s Priority, produced by the AG Projects film company in Phoenix, directed by director Gregg Elder. Her movie debut was actually made back in Hong Kong in 2015, in which she was playing as lead role - Ah Si in short movie Ah Si and Jenny, collaborating with the Hong Kong Micro Movie Production Center. It was followed by Helena’s first Hong Kong Fans Club Concert also produced by the Hong Kong Micro Movie Production Company during summer 2015. As far as publication, she just had her doctoral dissertation published on ProQuest in December 2015, regarding a topic related to the merging and exchange of Chinese and Western musical cultural exchange. Besides, as a member of the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Ltd (CASH), she has been writing music and lyrics for live Musical Theater dance productions and released her song in CD God’s Magnificent Love, with the Amazing Grace Record Co. in Hong Kong. Helena currently conducted a vocal master class at the Hong Kong Baptist University, where also worked as an examiner in graduation recitals at the vocal department in 2017. She will be finishing musical directing a total of 7 Junior Broadway Musical productions, for the 3 Arts Musical Institute in July, including productions, Joseph and the Technic Color Dream Coat, Cinderella, When King and I meets Sound of Music, etc. She worked for the East Valley School of Music in AZ, USA, as a piano accompanist for their recitals and also an important vocal coach for their productions. She previously also worked f or Opera Hong Kong and the 3 Arts Musical Institute Hong Kong in the past 5 years, as their pianist, vocal coach and music director on productions The Music Man, The Magic Flute, The Wiz, The Paradise and Once on this Island, etc. She also worked as a piano instructor and voice instructor at the El Paso Community College (TX, USA) after she got her M.M from the University of Texas (El Paso), where she also worked as a Teaching Assistant for 2 years in the Music Department.