Born in London, Helen Tunstall studied at the Royal College of Music with Marisa Robles and Fiona Hibbert.  She is  principle harpist of the London Sinfonietta, Endymion and the Orchestra of St. Johns Smith Square and leads a busy freelance career playing solo, chamber and orchestral music with all the major London orchestras and ensembles.  Performances this year include the BBC Proms, South Bank, Barbican, Aldeburgh, Kings Place, Bregenz, Krakow and St Paul Minneapolis festivals and appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Lontano, Orchestra of St. John’s Smith Square, London Sinfonietta  and Endymion.

She is a top London studio player recording classical, contemporary, film, television and commercial music.  Recent recordings are Harrison Birtwistles Orpheus Elegies for oboe and harp, works by Tarik ORegan for Collegium, chamber works by Silvina Milstein, Among Angels with The Sixteen and songs with Chris Botti for Columbia label, as well as music for pop artists Amy Winehouse, Katie Melua, Rufus Wainwright, Mischa Barton, Michael, and Kid Harpoon. Recent film recordings have been Milk, Hellboy 2, The Golden Compass, Inkheart, Wolfman, Nine, An Education and TV music for Life in the Undergrowth and the Natural World series.

Helen is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music.