Helena Aung
Research Area
Education
BMus, University of Arkansas
MMus, University of Oklahoma
DMA, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
About
Dr. Helena Aung Biography Helena Aung is a pianist originally from Thailand and the founder of the Innovative Piano Program. Since 2024, Aung has been a Sessional Lecturer at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Aung holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Arkansas, a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
As a prizewinner of the 2011 Bangkok Chopin Piano Competition, Aung has earned numerous prestigious scholarships throughout her career, including the Yamaha Artist Scholarship and the Princess Galyani Vadhana Classical Music Foundation Scholarship. She has performed extensively as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, frequently collaborating with violinist Xun Xu. Additionally, Aung is passionate about exploring new music and regularly works with composers to premiere contemporary works.
Aung’s dissertation, titled “Martin Bresnick’s Piano Compositions: An Analysis and Performance Guide,” was published in the MTNA (Music Teacher National Association) e-journal in April 2023. Building on this research, she presented a lecture-recital, “Echoes of Devotion and Disappearance: Exploring Identity, Memory, and Polyphony in the Piano Works of Martin Bresnick,” at the 2025 PGVIS (Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music International Symposium).
In addition to her performances and research, Aung is a dedicated educator. Aung was awarded the 2024 Steinway & Sons Top Piano Teacher Award. Her students have achieved success at both national and international levels, and she continually adapts her teaching methods to meet the individual needs of her students, promoting their growth and development in the competitive world of piano performance. She explored innovative teaching ideas and online platforms through her newly established Innovative Piano Program.
As a pedagogue, Aung has given masterclasses at institutions and festivals in the United States, India and Thailand, including Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Young Artist Music Program at the Mahidol University (Thailand), University of Ozarks (United States), The Brillante Piano Festival (India) and TP Music School (Thailand).
Over the course of her career, Aung has had the privilege of working with renowned artists such as Jura Margulis, Martin Bresnick, Lisa Moore, Jeongwon Ham, Behzod Abduraimov, Yoonie Han, Thomas Hecht, Albert Tiu, Dmitri Ratser, Ratko Delorko, Gustavo Romero, Roberto Plano, Pierre Réach, Michael Lewin, Antonina Dragan, Liza Stepanova, Scott McBride Smith, and Steven Spooner, which greatly reinforced her artistic growth. Aung has served as a judge for major events including the 2025 Canadian Music Competition BC, the 2025 New York Open Music Festival, and the Charleston International Music Competition, where she brings her expertise to evaluating and encouraging talented young musicians from around the world.