Helen Andrews, Leader

 

Helen is pleased to have been appointed leader of the Blackpool Symphony Orchestra in September 2011 after having played with the Orchestra for over 30 years.

Helen comes from a musical family and started her musical life playing violin and piano. Her parents are both string players and her brother is a professional cellist so family chamber music was a regular occurrence. She was taught for many years by her grandmother, a professional violinist, who, in her youth, led the Whitby Spa Orchestra conducted by her husband, Frank Gomez.

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Helen's early orchestral experience was as a member of the North Yorkshire Schools Symphony Orchestra and the Northern Junior Philharmonic Orchestra.

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While studying for her engineering degrees she played with the Exeter University Symphony and Chamber Orchestras and the Bristol University Symphony Orchestra. At Exeter she also had lessons with Malcolm Latcham (Dartington String Quartet).

Since moving to the North West, Helen has played regularly with local orchestras in Blackpool, Blackburn (lead viola), Bolton and Kendal. She is lead violin for many local operatic society shows (often with her husband, Chris, as MD) and for the orchestra of Preston Opera which she has led since 1988.

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Helen performs regularly with chamber ensembles and string quartets for weddings and concerts playing violin and viola.

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After a successful career in industry, Helen now works part time for the Light Music Society in the Library of Light Orchestral Music (Longridge). In her spare time Helen enjoys tap.

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