Bio (250 words)

Ecofuturist, songwriter and improvising musician for people who thrive on the poetics of place

Biddy Healey has captivated fans across the USA and Australia with her mesmerising worldbuilding and expressive vocal range. Her songs and stories of the places she has called home clutch at the heart and connect audiences with their place in nature. 

Biddy wrote and recorded her debut album - SALT RIVER BED - in New York with some of the city’s finest improvising musicians. The 9-piece band features award-winning violinist Sara Caswell (Grammy nominee) and trumpeter/flugelhornist Nadje Noordhuis (of the multiple Grammy-winning Maria Schneider Orchestra). Praise includes “This album is perfection… the studio’s favourite” (Chris Benham, Big Orange Sheep), “Björk meets Bowie” (Chris Stromquist, Kultur Schock), “a refreshing take on pop, merging together with jazz and improvised music” (Nikolas Fotakis, Australian Jazznet). 

Biddy’s eclectic career showcases a wide-ranging talent. She performs contemporary chamber music (Chris Stover’s Helical Ensemble), choral music, and Brazilian music on cavaquinho and guitar. She has played sold out international shows at The Nash Jazz Club (Phoenix), Shapeshifter Lab (New York), Doshisha Concert Hall (Kyoto), and performed at iconic festivals in Australia such as Splendour in the Grass and The Piano Mill at Harrigans Lane (NSW). 

She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Contemporary Music) from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2015 with multiple awards (John Gaitskell Memorial Mensa Prize, Dr Phillip Law Scholarship for Innovation, Marion Thomas Award for Excellence).