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Robert Eugene Helps was born on September 23, 1928 in Passaic, New Jersey. He studied at Columbia University from 1947 to 1949 and the University of California, Berkeley, from 1949 to 1951. Helps was a distinguished pupil of Abby Whiteside, known for her theories on rhythm and technique. He also studied composition with Roger Sessions. Throughout his career, he taught at institutions including the New England Conservatory of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Princeton University, Stanford University, Manhattan School of Music, and the University of South Florida. Helps received numerous awards, including grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Guggenheim Foundation, Ford Foundation, as well as an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1976. His music was released on labels such as Naxos, CRI, Desto, and Albany. Helps passed away on November 24, 2001, in Tampa, Florida.
