Learning the piano and the violin as a small child, she spent much of her time making music with her three sisters. She also sang and played Danish songs, and grew up with church music. Yet even at the age of nineteen, she still wanted to be a pianist.

But then Helene discovered folk, which sounded to her like a huge promise: “I found an incredible freedom that I had to explore – and felt the urge to delve into roots.” Repeatedly forging something new from traditional music has since become a labour of love for her. Performing solo and in various line-ups, including excursions into musical theatre and the opera, Helene Blum seeks creative challenges. She finds inspiration in contemporary poetry, art and Nordic myths as well as the landscape of her native island of Funen, with which she feels a deep-seated bond.

This is all reflected on her album, ‘Men med åbne øjne’, which the Daily Telegraph (UK) declared one of the top ten folk albums of 2013. That same year, the Helene Blum & Harald Haugaard Band won the prestigious European folk music prize ‘Eiserner Eversteiner’. Helene Blum’s fifth and current CD Dråber af tid (‘Droplets of time’) released in 2017 was met with high critical acclaim. One track on the album, ‘Friheden Station’, was a number one hit on Danish radio.

Men så opdagede hun folkemusikken: ”Jeg fandt en kæmpe frihed, som jeg var nødt til at udforske – og følte trang til at dykke ned i rødderne”. Derfor blev det en kunstnerisk hjertesag for hende at udforske traditionen med stort vovemod. Hun søger de kreative udfordringer som solist, i forskellige bands og på udflugter til musikteater og opera. Hun har optrådt som solist med Odense Symfoniorkester, på Den Fynske Opera, på Schleswig-Holsteins Landestheater og samarbejdet med en lang række betydelige kunstnere som f.eks. Palle Mikkelborg, Steffen Brandt og den canadiske violinist Ashley MacIsaac. Nutidig lyrik, kunst, nordiske folkesagn og ikke mindst naturen på hendes hjemø Fyn hører til blandt inspirationskilderne, med hvilke hun forbinder sig stærkt.

Hendes album ”Men med åbne øjne” spejler alt dette. Det britiske dagblad Daily Telegraph udråbte det til at være et af de ti bedste folk albums i 2013. Samme år vandt Helene Blum & Harald Haugaard Band den prestigefyldte europæiske folkemusikpris ”Eiserner Eversteiner”. Helene Blums nyeste album Dråber Af Tid, er blevet mødt med stor ros fra kritikere, og nummeret Friheden Station, har ligget øverst på spillelisterne hos DR P5.