Helios | Vocal Ensemble

Helios is a seven voice early music ensemble that formed in 2014 with the express purpose of bringing light to music from before 1700. This era is often underrepresented, or performed with more emphasis on historical representation than artistic expression. They believe the inherent beauty of the music can be amplified with modern vocal aesthetics and informed by historic performance practices. Helios is an auditory experience that takes this music off of the shelf and brings it to life.

From the ABOUT US section of heliosphx.org

Helios. The divine personification of the sun. Offspring of Hyperion, the titan god of light and wisdom. We live and celebrate in the sun most every day. We in Helios want to add to that light by illuminating music of an earlier age in a way that also celebrates the aesthetic sensibilities of today. Early music does not belong in the dustbin of history, only to be shaken off to fulfill a curriculum design. Nor does it belong on a pedestal, out of reach and out of mind. It belongs in the light of our every day to exalt us. To develop us. To celebrate us.

Helios celebrates the beautifully and creatively crafted music of our artistic ancestors. We celebrate the triumph of history’s greatest composers whose innovations paved the way for music as we now know it. We celebrate the foundations of culture and society that have formed and informed our current way of being. We celebrate our ability to time travel through the aesthetics of early music. But mostly, we celebrate the shared experience of music that has the power to transform us artistically performed by the ensemble called Helios.

Our Mission
Illuminating early vocal music for contemporary audiences through powerful performance.

Our Vision
Each of the seven accomplished singers is an equal partner in all aspects of artistic direction.

Helios strives to create an organizational structure with a new model of transparency and sustainability.

We seek to serve our community, locally and globally, with extraordinary experiences of compelling early music.