Teacher Profile: Helen Dowd

About Helen Dowd

Helen Dowd is a native of Lincoln, NE, and comes from a large musical family. At age 6 she

learned violin and piano with both Suzuki and traditional methods and in 8th grade, she began

playing viola and has since performed in many quartets as a violist. As early as high school,

Helen started her own violin and piano studio to fund youth orchestra trips. She also began to

accompany Suzuki students for violin, viola, and cello studio recitals.

For her Bachelor of Music, she studied with Becca Fischer of the Chiara String Quartet at the

University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While at UNL Helen was a member of the Redwood Piano Trio

which participated in Fischer's Teaching Artists' Outreach program, as well as won the Honors

Chamberfest Competition in 2014. As a college student, Helen was selected to perform as a

soloist and chamber musician in masterclasses given by Robert Chen, Rita Porfirio, Norman

Fischer, Stephen Rose, Catalyst Quartet, and Paul Katz.

Studying with Janet Sung at DePaul University, she received her Master of Music degree in

2017. During her studies in Chicago, Dowd remained an active educator at the non-profits

Music for Kids and Music House Inc. After completing her degree, she won her first violin position

in the Midland-Odessa Symphony in 2017. Helen has since taken her love of teaching and

music from Lincoln to Chicago, Dallas, and now Houston.

Helen has been active in the Houston music scene since 2019 performing as a freelance

musician for engagements, weddings, church programs, and private concerts. During her free

time, she loves to bake, enjoy the sunshine, and spend time with her husband Michael and their puppy.