A voice shaped by the French tradition,
engaged with the music of today

Deeply rooted in the French classical tradition, flutist Hélène Navasse began her musical training in France before continuing her studies as a Lavoisier Fellowship laureate (French Ministry of Culture) in the solo class at Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam, graduating cum laude with first prize in flute. She is also graduated in orchestral performance, chamber music, and contemporary repertoire in Amsterdam. Furthermore, she holds the highest diploma from the Royal Danish Academy of Music.

At just 18, Hélène joined Ensemble Polychromie, a Lille-based ensemble dedicated to new music, marking the beginning of her lifelong engagement with contemporary repertoire. She was later appointed Associate Principal Flutist of the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra (DK) and, since 2016, has been a member of Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, Denmark’s leading ensemble for contemporary music.

Described in Denmark as “one of the most important catalysts for new experimental music and a tremendous inspiration to all of us composers,” Hélène has collaborated with leading composers including Kaija Saariaho, David Lang, Roger Reynolds, Simon Steen-Andersen, Bára Gísladottir, Bent Sørensen and Hans Abrahamsen.

A passionate advocate for contemporary music, she has premiered and recorded numerous works, and performed with distinguished ensembles such as MusikFabrik, Klangforum Wien and Ensemble Intercontemporain.

While excelling across the flute family, Hélène has a special affinity for the lower flutes. She has commissioned and premiered “Innocent Mind and Mayday” for alto flute and ensemble by Peter Bruun, and “FlashNight” for bass flute, electronics and ensemble by Niels Rosing-Schow, which is recorded on Dacapo Records.

A prize-winner in several international competitions, she performs widely as a soloist and chamber musician, from the United States to Japan and from Iceland to Lebanon. She has appeared as soloist with both symphony orchestras and acclaimed ensembles.

Hélène performed with the internationally acclaimed woodwind quintet Carion for nearly a decade and is now a founding member of the Copenhagen-based woodwind quintet Atlas CPH.

She regularly performs with major orchestras, including the Danish Royal Opera and Odense Symphony Orchestra, and has worked alongside renowned artists and conductors.

Remarkably, Hélène has held the French “Certificat d’Aptitude aux fonctions de Professeur de Musique”(CA) since the age of 20. This is a prestigious and highest national teaching qualification in music, awarded by the Ministry of Culture. She currently teaches at Hørsholm Music School and is qualified to teach at the Royal Danish Academy of Music (DKDM).

Recognized as “Denmark’s foremost flutist in contemporary music in all its diverse expressions,” she is frequently invited to perform internationally. She has appeared with acclaimed ensembles including Ensemble Intercontemporain, Klangforum Wien and MusikFabrik…

She enjoys close collaborations with both emerging and established composers, and has collaborated with, among others, David Lang, Kaija Saariaho, Simon Steen-Andersen, Bára Gísladottir, Bent Sørensen, and Hans Abrahamsen and many more…

She has premiered and commissioned numerous works written specifically for her, and appeared as soloist with Caput Ensemble, Reykjavik Chamber Orchestra, Aarhus Sinfonietta, Athelas Sinfonietta…

Over the years, she has played with numerous European orchestras and has collaborated with renowned conductors and soloists such as Barbara Hannigan and Emmanuel Pahud.

Hélène made her solo debut at age 15 in the United States with Mozart’s Flute Concerto, and later appeared as a soloist with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.

This state qualification recognizes both artistic excellence and advanced teaching expertise, and entitles its holders to the highest posts in conservatories and higher music education in France.

Hélène was flute professor assistant at the Sweelinck Conservatorium Amsterdam for the class of for Harrie Starreveld.

She was the very close collaborator and councillor of composer Niels Rosing-Schow under the creation of the solo work “…aus Atmen…” composed for the prestigious Carl Nielsen competition 2014. A work she also as recorded for Dacapo.

She began her musical journey in Le Havre (France) with Jean Etienne, and pursued her studies in Boulogne with Céline Nessi and Pierre-Yves Artaud. Hélène graduated cum laude from the soloist class at Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam under Harrie Starreveld, with furthermore specializations in chamber music, contemporary music, and orchestral performance.

Hélène holds also the highest diploma from the Royal Danish Academy of Music and has been a dedicated educator since the beginning of her career. She teaches at Hørsholm Music School and is formally qualified to teach at the Royal Danish Academy of Music (DKDM).

Hélène studied also with Raymond Guiot, Catherine Cantin and Manuela Wiesler. She has participated to numerous masterclasses with among others M. Debost, A. Marion, p. Gallois…

Her teaching philosophy blends the legacy of the French flute school with an open approach to contemporary music and a deep respect for individual growth — an approach that has inspired many students.

Through my engagement with contemporary repertoire, I have repeatedly encountered how identical musical gestures transform across the flute family. Material that appears stable in notation reveals itself as variable in sound, resistance, and projection depending on the instrument and the physical conditions of performance.

The Studio Lab develops from this observation. It explores the behavior of shared musical material across piccolo, C flute, alto flute, and bass flute, approached through the body and under real playing conditions.

This work does not separate performance from research. It operates within the act of playing itself, where listening, breath, and instrumental response become the primary means of inquiry.

It informs my collaborations with composers and my approach to contemporary music, grounding musical writing in the acoustic and physical reality of the instrument.