Career
She left around 136 compositions in manuscript, including 53 Lieder (settings of Luxembourgian, German, and French texts), nineteen choral works, fourteen piano sonatas, 38 character pieces and dances for piano, eight works for symphony orchestra, and six works for wind ensemble. The manuscript archive is held by Cid-femmes (Women"s Information Center) in Luxembourg. The center organized a three-year celebration, 2009 to 2011, of Buchholtz"s work that included concerts, recordings, and music editions.
Helen Buchholtz was born to the Esch-based Buchholtz-Ettinger family.
She started learning music from a very early age. After finishing primary school, she attended a girls" boarding school in Longwy.
After her husband"s death in 1921 she returned to Luxembourg and lived in Luxembourg City in the Boulevard Paul Eyschen. Her composing skills were mostly self-taught.
She did however cooperate with various musicians and writers over the years, such as Batty Weber and Willy Goergen.
She corresponded with Gustave Kahnt. She would send him her compositions, which he would read through and return to her with his suggestions. Gustave Kahnt died in 1923.