Amy Maude Helfer, American mezzo-soprano, is gaining attention as a versatile singing actor of opera, operetta, and musical theatre, especially noted for her comedic timing, “plangent mezzo,” and "gorgeous voice."

In March 2023, Amy Maude reprised the role of PITTI-SING on tour with New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (NYGASP) in their “re-imagined” Mikado. In April, she performed as ALTO SOLOIST in the US premiere of Lera Auerbach’s Symphony no. 6, Vessels of Light, dedicated to Chiune Sugihara, with New York City Opera at Carnegie Hall. Amy Maude’s summer 2023 engagements include role debuts as SISTER MARGARETTA (The Sound of Music) at Ivoryton Playhouse and ZULMA (L’italiana in Algeri) at Opera Theater of Connecticut.

In May 2022, Amy Maude jumped in to rehearsals as ROSINA (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) (on 72 hours’ notice!) in her debut with New York City Opera, giving back-to-back performances at Bryant Park, and as ALTO SOLOIST (Stroope American Rhapsody) with MidAmerica Productions at Carnegie Hall. In June, Amy Maude jumped in to rehearsals (on 36 hours’ notice!) as MEG PAGE (Falstaff) at Raylynmor Opera, though performances were sadly cancelled due to COVID. In August, she sang PETRA (A Little Night Music) in her company debut at Union Avenue Opera.
Autumn 2022 saw Amy Maude reprising the role of TESSA (The Gondoliers) with NYGASP, directing, conducting, and singing her recital honoring her as recipient of NYGASP’s annual Isaac Asimov Award for Artistic Achievement, performing a concert of Offenbach-influenced operatic highlights at Raylynmor Opera, and debuting the role of the WITCH (Hansel and Gretel) at Opera Theater of Connecticut.

COVID-era credits include a role debut as BERTA (The Barber of Seville) with Opera Theater of Connecticut, cantorial soloist at Temple Emanu-el in Manhattan, ALLA NAZIMOVA (The Garden of Alla) at New York Public Library’s virtual musical theatre festival “Across a Crowded Zoom,” soloist on Boheme Opera NJ’s virtual lecture series at Monroe Township Library, IOLANTHE (Iolanthe for Kids) in a virtual production with NYGASP, a live concert of G&S favorites with Utopia Opera at Foxhowe Association, and “Songs from the Elephant’s Trunk,” a live concert with Brief Cameo Productions at Ivoryton Playhouse.

Pre-pandemic operatic credits include the title role in Carmen at the Narnia Festival, DINAH (Trouble in Tahiti) with Boheme Opera NJ, CHERUBINO (Le nozze di Figaro) and ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE at Dayton Opera, VERA BORONEL (The Consul) and NANCY (Albert Herring) with Bronx Opera, BABA THE TURK (The Rake's Progress) with String Orchestra of Brooklyn, MERCÉDÈS (Carmen) with Opera Theater of Connecticut, FRADE (Mandelbaum’s The Dybbuk) at Queens College and Merkin Hall, HANSEL (Hansel and Gretel) at Boston Lyric Opera-Opera New England, and STÉPHANO (Roméo et Juliette) with dell'Arte Opera Ensemble.

On the concert stage, Amy Maude performed a concert of operatic favorites with Athena Music Foundation at Zankel Hall, was alto soloist in Part One of Handel’s Messiah at Rutgers University, and alto soloist in Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass with Manhattan Concert Productions at Carnegie Hall.

Credits in operetta and musical theatre include MRS. LOVETT (Sweeney Todd) at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, soloist on Sondheim, Golden Age/ Bernstein and Cole Porter concerts with Opera Theater of Connecticut at Sanibel Music Festival, RUTH (The Pirates of Penzance) with Utopia Opera, soloist on Ivoryton Playhouse's cabaret series “Playhouse on the Shore,” PETRA (A Little Night Music) with Madison Lyric Stage, PHOEBE (The Yeomen of the Guard) at Winter Opera Saint Louis, CLOTILDE LOMBASTE (The New Moon), SUSAN (The Desert Song), and ETHEL BRANDER (Rose-Marie) with Light Opera of New York, and KATE (The Pirates of Penzance) with Boheme Opera NJ. 

A principal mezzo with NYGASP, Amy Maude’s roles include the title role in Iolanthe, PHOEBE (The Yeomen of the Guard) at New York City Center and the International G&S Festival in Malvern & Harrogate UK, TESSA (The Gondoliers), LADY ANGELA and LADY SAPHIR (Patience), MELISSA (Princess Ida), as well as over 50 performances as PITTI-SING (The Mikado) and over 90 performances as KATE (The Pirates of Penzance) in NYC and on national tours.

Amy Maude made her podcast debut in March 2021, discussing Bob Dylan’s “inscrutable” lead track of Self Portrait, “All the Tired Horses,” on POD DYLAN. She returned to POD DYLAN in November 2022 to discuss “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You.” During the height of the pandemic, Amy penned two vaguely-viral meme tweets, first about Bob Dylan, and later, slasher film Sleepaway Camp.

Amy Maude was a semi-finalist in the 2013 Lotte Lenya Competition, and joined Actors’ Equity in 2009.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Music degree in both Voice Performance and Music Education from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music degree in Voice Performance from Boston University. She has served annually as a high holiday cantorial soloist since 2003.

A native of Cheshire, Connecticut, Amy is currently based in New York City.