On a mission to build a kinder world through creativity, psychology, and technology.
Hi! My name is Helen, and I am a music creator, psychology student, TEDx speaker, and entrepreneur. Growing up across three continents and many other in-betweens, I believe in the power of weaving bridges: between disciplines, cultures, and souls. Through creativity and innovation, I aspire to build worlds where connection and empathy can flourish.
Born in New Zealand, raised in China and the U.S., my story has always unfolded in the spaces between.
Music
As a composer, pianist, vocalist, and songwriter-producer, I’ve been lucky to explore many musical worlds—from contemporary classical to music production, from opera and theater to multimedia storytelling. What ties it all together for me is the belief that music can heal, empower, and connect across boundaries.
I am a NextNotes Music Creator (American Composers Forum), a Morton Gould Young Composers Awards finalist (ASCAP Foundation), and an Honorable Mention for the Luna Lab Fellowship (Kaufman Music Center). My work has been performed by the Cassatt String Quartet, Mivos Quartet, PRISM Quartet, Walden School Players, and members of the International Contemporary Ensemble. As a film composer and sound designer, I have collaborated with an Emmy-winning director, Prague Film School students, and a Cannes-award-winning media agency. My passion for composition and music tech has been shaped by the guidance of mentors including Daniel Felsenfeld, Hans Thomalla, Michael Smidi Smith, Chris Mercer, Liliya Ugay, Marcos Balter, and Ian Underwood.
Performance remains the heartbeat of my musical endeavors. As a pianist, I've performed with Lang Lang, premiered original work at Carnegie Hall, and received first prizes at the Hong Kong–Asia Piano Open and Korea–Asia Piano Open. As a conductor, I’ve led the USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra and the Vienna Boys Choir. As a vocalist, I’ve sung across opera, choral, and new music premieres, and worked extensively in electronic production and collaborative sessions, experimenting with the voice as a malleable tool for texture, storytelling, and emotional transmutation.
I am currently developing OSEANA, my debut artist project and a concept universe where music, psychology, and immersive storytelling come together to hold the emotions we dismiss as “too much.” Drawing on psychology concepts, I attempt to shape sound and story into emotional technologies: containers for memory, longing, and repair. Through electronic production, art pop, and film scoring, OSEANA prototypes love songs as bridges—transporting exiled feelings into expression and homecoming, and exploring how creative systems can expand our capacity for connection.
Psychology
Studying psychology, I’m especially drawn to understanding the systems that make us feel safe, connected, and alive. At Northwestern’s labs, I explored how dreams, memory, and life stories shape our inner worlds—conducting EEG dream research and coding hundreds of autobiographical narratives to investigate how people express joy, meaning, and growth, and how these invisible systems carry into mood, creativity, and well-being. I also worked with Littl, an early-stage parenting tech startup, translating developmental psychology into scalable digital resources for families.
With role models like Esther Perel and Irvin D. Yalom, I see psychology as a platform for healing, empowerment, and growth. I love weaving research into artistic processes—incorporating insights from dream science, narrative identity, and cognitive architectures into the music I write, building bridges between science and creativity.
Entrepreneurship
Beyond music and psychology, I’ve built ventures at the intersection of education, technology, and creativity. With Sunflower Education, I designed programs for young and neurodiverse musicians, blending composition, technology, and socioemotional learning—mentoring students into conservatories such as Manhattan School of Music and Michigan. At Northwestern’s Garage, I co-incubated DjAI, prototyping how AI could serve as a creative partner, and developed ConnectEd, an edtech platform to foster peer connection during the pandemic, which earned Second Place at the Lean Startup Pitch Competition. I’ve also worked with Littl, applying psychology and UX design to create scalable parenting tools. Earlier, I co-founded Heart of Cubs, a nonprofit that organized benefit concerts and raised support for hospitals, special education centers, and earthquake relief. Across these projects, I’ve learned how ventures can balance story, feasibility, and social impact—designing systems that empower creativity and belonging.
Mission
I’ve always sought connection across different worlds and found my home in the in-between. This journey has given me a perspective shaped less by distance than by curiosity and empathy. I once shared this on a TEDx stage, speaking about cultural exchange through music, and I continue to pursue projects that weave diverse anchors into spaces of belonging.
Whether through a piece of music, a classroom, or a startup, I want to design spaces where people can feel at home in ourselves and with each other. I am on a quest to build bridges, believing firmly in the power of art, science, and innovation to nurture a kinder world.