Leigh Carriage

Dr Leigh Carriage is an Australia composer, vocalist, educator and public speaker and a Senior Lecture in the Contemporary Music Program at Southern Cross University. Leigh completed her research and compositions for her Ph.D., Doctorate in Philosophy (Composition) at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sydney University.

Since 2004 Leigh coordinated the APRA AMCOS Songwriters Seminars with artists such as: Bernard Fanning, Hiatus Kaiyote, Lisa Gerard, Rob Hirst, Kerrianne Cox, Nerida Tyson-Chew, Sarah Storer, The Stiff Gins, Katie Noonan, Troy Cassar-Daly, Neil Murray and Mia Dyson. Australian Songwriters are invited to discuss and perform and unpack their individual and or collaborative approaches to songwriting to a live audience.

Leigh recorded two albums in Sydney at Studio 301, 'Mandarin Skyline' and 'Get Out of Town' featuring Steve Russell, Jonathan Zwartz, Phil Slater, Matt McMahon, Hamish Stuart, Sam Keevers and Matt Smith. Mixed and mastered in LA by Grammy Award winning engineer Helik Hadar. 'Mandarin Skyline' was nominated for a National Bell Award.

Leigh's sixth album 'Weave', features ten original compositions, several pieces written for large ensemble with horn and string sections. 'Weave' won Album of the Year in the North Coast Entertainment Industry Awards.

Festival performances include the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival USA as well as Wangaratta Jazz and Blues, Brisbane Jazz Festival, East Coast Blues and Roots, Woodford Folk Festival, Melbourne International Women's Jazz Festival and Mullum Music Festival, and regular performances at the Brisbane International Jazz Festival and Brisbane Festival in the famous Spiegeltent.

Other research interests include composing and arranging, live performance, improvisation, vocal pedagogy, recording and gardening. In 2022 Leigh was awarded the Australian Women in Music - Humanitarian Award.