Erin Helyard

Associate Professor Erin Helyard is a prominent scholar-performer at the University of Sydney's Sydney Conservatorium of Music, specializing in historical performance practice and 18th-century music. He holds an Associate Professorship and is Artistic Director of Pinchgut Opera and Orchestra of the Antipodes, renowned for historically informed performances. His research bridges musicology and performance, focusing on opera history, music-economics intersections, and gender studies in classical music.

• Educations: Sydney Conservatorium (BMus with honours/medal), McGill University (MMus, PhD)
• Awards: 3 Helpmann Awards (Best Opera 2015-2017), MAA Achievement Award (2018)

Research interests include 17th-19th century opera, Bourdieu's sociological frameworks, music notation history, and feminist musicology. Recent projects include an ARC-funded study on 18th-century print culture and a monograph on Muzio Clementi's piano pedagogy. His performances with leading orchestras and ensembles emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to early music revival.

• Key grants: ARC Discovery Grant (2017) for transdisciplinary print culture research

Collaborations include the Australian Chamber Orchestra and pianist Stephanie McCallum, producing recordings that blend historical scholarship with contemporary performance. He actively supervises HDR students in musicology and performance studies.