About

Carolyn Goodwin is a clarinet, bass clarinet, alto and soprano saxophone player, born in Ireland (1983), and based in Copenhagen. Her work to date has seen her traverse many genres as a performer and creative artist, including opera, theatre, alt-pop and jazz, as well as the fields of contemporary and improvised music.
Carolyn has premiered contemporary chamber works (Irish Composers Collective, Crash Ensemble), working with composers such as Steve Reich, Bill Whelan and Hayden Chisholm. She has toured in Europe and North America with American band Bon Iver and Irish band Fred.
She has worked extensively in the world of theatre as a performer, composer, and arranger (ThisIsPopBaby, Corcadorca, Rough Magic, Cork Opera House, Abbey Theatre, Betty Nansen Theatre) receiving awards for her work (Edinburgh Fringe First, Irish Times Theatre Award).
Carolyn finds inspiration in traditional music from her native Ireland as well as other cultures. In 2016 she undertook field studies in Bamako, Mali, investigating the balafon playing tradition of the Mandinka people. In 2018 she was artist in residence at Laboratorio Artistico de San Agustin in Cuba, and in February 2019, she was artist-in residence at Mandagsklubben 5E in Copenhagen.

Her current projects include: Thou Sonic Friend with Peter Tinning (guitar, effects) and Birgitte Lyregaard (vocals, percussion, objects), We Go Where We Go with Spencer Gross (guitar) and Lars Emil Madsen (piano/keyboards), and Clang Sayne with Laura Hyland (compositions, nylon string guitar voice), Matthew Jacobson (drums, objects) and Judith Ring (cello, voice), Carolyn is also a member of Extemporize Orchestra, a supergroup of Scandinavian-based improvisers.