Lucy Clifford is an Australian-born bassist and composer based in Sydney.
Lucy Clifford is an ARIA award-winning Sydney bassist, composer and bandleader. Her career spans across 15 years, performing internationally with a myriad of Grammy winning artists and appearing on countless recordings.
Having performed alongside multiple luminaries of the Australian music scene, including Kate Ceberano and Katie Noonan, Lucy has also garnered widespread acclaim in the contemporary jazz scene for her own genre-defying work, winning the 2025 ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album of the year with her recent debut release (via ABC Jazz). Her music has been performed at festivals around Australia and the USA, and explores the crossroads of genre, often bridging hypnotic bass-driven grooves, ambient soundscapes and a kaleidoscope of collaborative energies.
Biography:
Originally from Sydney’s South Coast, bassist Lucy Clifford received her B.A in Jazz Performance from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before relocating to Boston USA to attend Berklee College Of Music. There she studied under bassists including Lincoln Goines, Ron Mahdi and Anthony Vitti. Upon graduating from Berklee, Lucy became immersed in New York City’s vibrant music community, working with internationally esteemed artists such as Grammy winning Nella, Javier Limon, Mariza, Maher Beauroy, Alita Moses and Mighty Mystic among others.
An active and invested member of the Australian music community, Lucy joined Kate Ceberano’s band in 2022 for her national ‘Sweet Inspiration’ Tour, and has worked alongside artists Urthboy and Emily Wurramara. Lucy was the recipient of the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award in 2022, and as a composer, her music places value and care in encouraging space for exploration, via way of infectious grooves, lyrical arrangements and igniting spirit in those around her.
With an unwavering passion for championing the importance of music education, and an advocate for women in music, Lucy holds her Masters in Teaching, and has previously taught at numerous schools, such as Berklee College Of Music’s Groove School alongside bassist/educator Victor Wooten, and is the founder of Sisters Of Sound, a music education collective for young women.