Helin Kapten – pianist
Helin Kapten graduated from the Tallinn State Conservatory (now EMTA) in the piano class of Professor Bruno Lukk and completed her assistantship at the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory in the accompanying and coaching class of Professor Sofia Vakman. She furthered her studies in accompaniment at the University of Music and Theatre Hamburg. Helin has worked at the Estonian National Opera, Vaasa Opera, Jyväskylä Conservatoire Opera Studio, and participated in PROMFEST’s opera projects from 2005 to 2011. She has collaborated creatively with various vocal pedagogues (G. Ahrens, J. Anvelt-Scarafoni, Shen-Xiang, L. Agosti, M. Lehttinen, V. Noreika, M. Pelo) and conductors (C. F. Cillario, Zheng Xiao Ying, N. Järvi, E. Pehk, T. Kapten, E. Klas, among others).
Helin Kapten has conducted masterclasses in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Belarus, and Germany. She has served as an accompanist for many young singers who have successfully participated in international competitions, including Ain Anger, Aile Asszonyi, Rauno Elp, Veronika Džiojeva, and others.
Collaborating with numerous singers, including Mati Palm, Taisto Noor, Merle Hillep, Eda Zahharova, Igor Tsenkmann, Nikolai Dumtsev, Toomas Kuter, Jevgeni Nesterenko, Mihhail Gavrilov, she has given concerts in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, the USA, Canada, Lithuania, Italy, and more.
Currently, Helin Kapten works as a professor in the accompanying class and serves as the head of the chamber music department at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
