Helena Basilova

‘Helena Basilova played sensitively and with Flair’
– The New York Times

Rooted in a deep understanding of tradition and interpretation, Basilova collaborates with composers and artists all over the world and is dedicated to finding new interfaces between performer and audience. The continual longing for alternatives to the familiar makes Helena go places, see people and try things – for therein lies the possibility of finding a new insight, composition, sound or way of expressing herself.

Having music written for her from when she was seven years old, Helena feels a natural connection to contemporary music. It is something of a personal calling to lead the public to the most interesting works and enjoy exploring new territory together. Helena performed, among others, at Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall, New York City), Hyogo Performing Arts Centre (Japan), Concertgebouw Amsterdam, De Singel Antwerp, the NCPA in Mumbai and at the Banff Centre (Canada). Besides she is often invited at festivals like Rewire, Fiber, The Rest is Noise, Pieces of Tomorrow, 8 Brücken Cologne and at the Amsterdam Dance Event. 

Ever curious, Helena embraces extra-musical aspects that fit the context of a particular programme. As did Alexander Scriabin a century ago, when he combined sounds and colours. In 2016 Helena developed a visual-musical performance inspired by Scriabin together with video artists from DEFRAME collective. From this experience new collaborations followed and projects evolved with visual artists Vincent Rang, Boris Acket, Vladimir Grafov, Jurjen Alkema and Nick Verstand.

Helena recorded multiple albums with piano music by Leoš Janáček, Alexander Scriabin, Elena Firsova, Morton Feldman, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 2018 she presented and published music by her late father Alexander Basilov. His personal history drew a line from his teachers Alfred Schnittke and Lev Naumov all the way back to the famous piano school of Heinrich Neuhaus. Helena’s recording and publication of Basilov’s music received international media attention. Her album together with saxophonist Eva van Grinsven was given the prestigious Echo Klassik Award in Germany. In January 2025 Helena presented her newest album with own compositions created together with artist Salvador Breed. This album represents a modern soundtrack composed for silent movie Aelita Queen of Mars from 1924 and the duo performed de life-score to this movie at Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, Eye Filmmuseum and Wonderfeel Festival. 

For 2026 Helena is planning to compose new music in collaboration with Shoal (sound design) and Vincent Rang (visuals) inspired by Vincent’s recent project Arbor. Arbor meaning tree in Latin, offers a new perspective on time, through the generation of growths structures such as trees, plants and root systems. Also, her interpretation and extensive work on Ryuichi Sakamoto’s piano music has inspired to plan concerts in 2026 together with violinist Jeffrey Bruinsma and cellist Genevieve Verhage. This program honours Sakamoto’s works for piano trio and his album 1996 recorded with Jaques Morelenbaum en Everton Nelson.

Helena Basilova has received scholarships from NYU New York, Nuffic, NFPK, Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds,Amsterdam Arts Foundaton and Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Foundation. She has finished piano studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the New York University with highest distinction and plays on a Steinway Grand Piano, kindly lent to her by the Dutch National Music Instrument Foundation. From September 2016 Helena works as a Piano Professor at the ArtEZ Conservatory in The Netherlands.

Listen or purchase Helena’s music here: