Helene Liebmann was born on December 16, 1795 in Berlin as the second child of a wealthy Jewish middle-class family. Her father, Meyer Wulff Riess (later known as Martin Riese), was a wealthy banker. Her brother was the writer Friedrich Wilhelm Riese. Her teachers during her time in Berlin included Wilhelm Schneider, Franz Lauska and Joseph Augustin Gürrlich.
In 1813, the musician converted to Christianity and married the merchant John Joseph Liebmann. In April 1814, the young couple moved to London, where the musician took lessons from Ferdinand Ries. From 1819, the couple were registered as living in Hamburg. In 1819 - after her husband had also converted to Christianity - they adopted the Christian-sounding surname “Liebert”.
In the spring of 1859, Helene and Johann Joseph Liebert left Hamburg and made their way to Italy via Saxony and Austria. As no more precise details are available, their further traces are lost.
On February 23, 1806, Helene Liebmann appeared for the first time as a pianist in public concerts in Berlin. In the following years, she made a name for herself there and performed in public with above-average frequency compared to other female instrumentalists. No evidence of public concert appearances is known for her London period. In Hamburg, on the other hand, Helene Liebmann - also under her new name Helene Liebert - appeared as a concert singer.
Helene Liebmann's compositions include works for voice, piano and string instruments. During her time in Berlin, she primarily published piano sonatas and songs. The compositional focus of the London period was on chamber music. A total of around 20 printed works have survived, which she wrote within seven years. There are no surviving unpublished compositions.
