Helene Blum Band

Helene Blum, bio

"It’s been many years since Denmark has had a young woman singer with such a great voice.”
Danish National Radio P4

Helene Blum has thrilled audiences throughout Europe, and from Canada to Japan, with her intensely expressive, crystal clear voice. Her artistic focus embraces both traditional roots and innovation. Using ancient songs and ballads as a base, she reinvents them with contemporary expressions and mixes them elegantly with newly written songs, including her own. She is deeply rooted in Danish music traditions and at the same time not afraid to challenge them.

By the age of two, she already wanted to play violin, and all through childhood her musical talent grew strong while playing with her three sisters. She played mainly piano, but also cello and violin, and from an early age sang the ballads and hymns that form her distinctive tradition.

In 2004 Blum became the first singer from the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music to be educated with a degree in folk music. In 2005 she released the Christmas album "En sød og liflig klang," for which she received a Danish Music Award "Folk Debut of the Year."

Blum previously has toured with singer Karen Mose, with whom she released the album ”Solen” (The Sun) in 2003. She has several times been featured at the acknowledged German saxophonist Richar Wester’s famous ”Nacht der Lieder”-concerts, has performed regularly with the great Danish organist Poul Skjølstrup, and guest starred in the early music ensemble Via Artis. She has sung the main role in German Schlesvig-Holsteinische Theatre's ballet production of Medea, and the young Danish composer Rasmus Zwicki has composed a large role for her in his new opera "KONSUMIA" that will have its first performance in the spring of 2009. She has performed at the largest folk festivals in Canada, Vancouver and Winnipeg, in venues and churches throughout Denmark and Germany, at the official Danish pavillion at EXPO in Nagoya, Japan 2005 and in German television shows.

Currently Blum is touring with several configurations: in her trio, her quartet, and with the seven-piece Helene Blum & Harald Haugaard Band that she hosts together with her husband, fiddler Harald Haugaard.

With her versatility and the many facets of her talent and voice, Helene Blum is a unique singer with a strongly personal expression - at times understated and whimsical, at times radiant, and at times intense and commanding. She is an outstanding communicator with the rare ability to unite sensitivity with power.

In January 2009 Pile House Records released Blum's solo album, "En gang og altid" (Once and Forever), showing the new qualities and depths of her style, repertoire and expression.