Darren Heinrich Musician - All About Jazz

Updated: August 28, 2025

Born: September 18, 1967

Darren Heinrich is an award-winning professional musician with over 30 years experience as a performer and composer, both domestically and internationally. His artistic residencies as a jazz organist include Rare Groove Mondays at Foundry 616, Ultimo, and Soul Jazz Sessions at Playbar, Surry Hills. He gigs regularly with his own trio, and freelances on organ and piano with a wide variety of artists, both locally and abroad. Darren has studied in person with Hammond organ masters Dr. Lonnie Smith and Tony Monaco, and completed the world's first PhD research in Jazz Organ Improvisation at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he currently lectures in Ensemble and Improvisation. Recent performances and recordings include:

Libor Smoldas (Czech), James Valentine , Ingrid James, Sorcha Albuquerque, Jeremy Sawkins, Rumproller Organ Trio (USA), Nick Mancini (USA), Jill Barber (Canada), Dan Barnett, Steve Brien and Tim Rollinson.

Darren Heinrich Trio's album "New Vintage Tunes for the Hammond Organ" earned them the Unsigned Artist of the Month Award from US-based Keyboard Magazine.

Awards

Awards: Darren is a recipient of the Jacek Chrostowski Encouragement Award for Jazz Piano and was Runner-up in the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s Young Composers Competition. In December 2008, Australian website Jazz and Beyond named him Artist of the Month.

Take Five With Hammond B3 organist and pianist Darren Heinrich

by AAJ Staff
March 12, 2009

Meet Darren Heinrich: Darren Heinrich Trio is a classic Hammond Organ combo-organ/guitar/drums. The music's emphasis is groove, with equal parts tradition and innovation. Original music by Darren forms a significant part of the bands repertoire in addition to standards and blues. Darren Heinrich: organ Steve Brien: guitar Andrew Dickeson: drums Darren Heinrich is a versatile Sydney-based pianist and organist, who holds First Class Honors degree in jazz from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where ...

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Recording

Australian Jazz Organ - New Album

Source: All About Jazz
March 9, 2009

New Vintage Tunes for the Hammond Organ is perhaps a first for Australian Jazz—an album of entirely original material performed by an organ trio. The 10 tracks (and 2 bonus tracks), composed by Darren, run the gamut of the jazz spectrum in style. Swing, Funk, Boogaloo, Ballads & Blues all get a workout here, and while Darren's influences may be evident to Hammond fans, the music is undeniably original and fresh. Produced by legendary US organist Tony Monaco during a ...
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“sinuous rivers of sound” - John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald.

"A strong command of Larry Young’s approach to the organ." - Pat Bianchi.

“One of the hottest upcoming names in the Jazz organ scene.” - Tony Monaco.

"Darren is a thoughtful and tasteful soloist" - Mike Nock.

"great keyboard work from Darren" - DVD Plaza.