About

Helena Cheu is a pianist and composer from Northern Ontario, living and working in Ottawa. In Spring 2026 she graduated with a Masters of Music in Composition from the University of Ottawa, studying with Robert Rival. 

Helena is Chinese-Canadian and often feels side-lined by both sides of her heritage. Before the pandemic, she worked as a pianist, playing for musicals, the ballet, as well as church services and funerals. During the pandemic lockdowns, she decided to explore her limits as a composer and began studying at first Queens University, and then the University of Ottawa. Her work often centres around themes of alienation, isolation and self-acceptance. She writes for all manner of instrumentation including choral work, chamber music and larger orchestral works. 

Helena has written choral commissions for Cantabile Choirs in Kingston, and the Sudbury Chamber Singers. She was the runnerup in a chamber event organized by the University of Ottawa in conjunction with Chamberfest. Her piece “Atlantis”, a meditation about justice for woodwind quintet, received a performance at the festival in July of 2025. Having completed her MMus in Composition, she teaches piano and voice at the Bird and the Bean Music Studio in Ottawa, inspiring a love of music in students of all ages. She continues to compose, drawing great joy from sharing her love of music with people every day.