Born in Leipzig, Helling was the daughter of the Leipzig merchant Traugott Iwan Helling and his wife Helene, née Schmidt. She received her vocal training at the Leipzig Conservatory with Marie Hedmondt.[1]
She became a voice teacher at the Leipzig Conservatory.[2]: 181 On 8 June 1914, she married Wolfgang Rosenthal, a physician and bass-baritone, at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. The couple moved to Bad Blankenburg.[2]: 26 With him, she formed in Leipzig the Rosenthal-Quartet in 1919, including the contralto Marta Adam and the tenor Hans Lißmann.[1]: 194 The vocal ensemble performed in Europe with great success.[3] In 1918, they performed the Liebesliederwalzer by Johannes Brahms, and a reviewer noted the beauty and blending of their voices.[4] On 11 March 1920, they were the soloists in a concert at the Gewandhaus, with Arthur Nikisch conducting Bruckner's Te Deum; the organist was Karl Straube.[5]