Hendrik Helmer is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer based in New York City. He has collaborated with artists including Carly Simon, Maxwell, Paul Shaffer, and Madonna, and has worked with a wide range of international performers across pop, jazz, and blues genres. He has also taught at the Juilliard School.
Helmer studied music in the Netherlands for six years before relocating to New York City in 1998. Details about his early musical influences include jazz and classical guitar training and exposure to both European and American classic rock, jazz, and blues traditions. He was picked by the Dutch percussionist Nippy Noya to be a part of the Berklee College of Music seminar in Epe, Germany, in 1996.
At age 15, Helmer began performing weekly at the Pink Piano in Osnabrück, Germany, where he had the opportunity to play alongside visiting American blues musicians. These formative performances introduced him to artists who would later become significant collaborators in his musical development.
In his teenage years, Helmer’s passion for live performance led him to collaborate with a number of noted blues artists, including Gary Wiggins, Louisiana Red, Eddie C. Campbell, Big Jay McNeely, Jean Carroll, and Angela Brown. These early collaborations helped establish Helmer’s foundation as a versatile live performer with deep roots in blues and soul traditions.
Between 1995 and 1997, Helmer toured extensively throughout Belgium and the Netherlands with percussionist Nippy Noya, performing numerous live shows including a notable concert at Paradiso in Amsterdam, which featured René Engels on drums.[1]
Career
Building on his early experiences performing alongside blues and jazz legends, Helmer went on to establish himself as a versatile guitarist, composer, and producer within the New York City music scene.
He has worked, performed, and recorded with artists including Amber, Carly Simon, Wyclef Jean, Maxwell, and Paul Shaffer. Helmer’s career spans both live performance and studio recording sessions, blending his blues foundation with pop, rock, and soul influences.[2]
From 2008 to 2014, Helmer collaborated with the Our Time Company, performing at special events and workshops alongside prominent actors such as Edie Falco, Victor Garber, Paul Rudd, Sam Rockwell, and British comedian John Oliver. In 2005, he also coached actor Oscar Isaac during a three-month rehearsal at the Juilliard School for Isaac’s final performance piece, The American Occupation, directed by Trip Cull.
In 2012, Helmer released his EP Tales of Lost Love, which received a five-star rating from AllMusic and was described as “thoughtfully crafted” with a “reflective and almost cinematic quality.”[4] He made his Carnegie Hall debut on June 14, 2014.[5]
Since 2015, Helmer has worked as a private guitar instructor for high-profile clients, including Madonna’s children, Rocco Ritchie and David Banda, and, in 2023, English actress Mickey Sumner, daughter of Sting.[6]
In addition to his extensive session work, Helmer has released solo albums and EPs showcasing his skills as a composer, arranger, and bandleader.[7]
Recent Work
In 2018, Helmer collaborated with Michele Bettencourt on the album New Normal. In 2025, he produced, wrote, and recorded a follow-up project with Bettencourt in New York City titled Vampire Time, released on Licorice Pizza Records in Los Angeles.[8] The release was supported by the single Everybody Loves a Circus, with coverage in New Music Radio Network describing Helmer as an "accomplished guitarist in New York City" and one of the exceptional musicians involved in the project.[9]
The single also received chart recognition. It debuted at number 28 on the Independent Music Network Mainstream Top 30 Countdown,[10] was listed among the most-added tracks on National Radio Hits AC40 with 11 reporting stations,[11] and appeared on New Music Weekly's "Up & Coming" list with five station adds.[12]
Additional reporting in Airplay Access emphasized Bettencourt's early collaboration with Helmer, noting that she "joined forces with Hendrik Helmer, an accomplished guitarist in New York City" to record New Normal, which, although never marketed or distributed, was described as "as timely now as it was then."[13]
Drummer Andy Parker of UFO also referenced Helmer as part of the production team for Vampire Time, alongside Everett Bradley, Steve Ferrone, and Kerry Brown.[14]
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