Dee Dee Bridgewater Duo with Helen Sung

A two-time Grammy winner, Dee Dee Bridgewater first rose to prominence with the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra before sharing stages with icons including Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, and Dizzy Gillespie. Whether interpreting the Great American Songbook or championing new works, Bridgewater’s voice is both deeply rooted in tradition and unmistakably her own.

A true artistic polymath, Bridgewater has built an expansive career spanning music, theatre, film and TV, radio broadcasting, and production. She won a Tony Award for her role as Glinda in The Wiz and has earned acclaim for performances in stage productions including Lady Day, Cabaret, and Sophisticated Ladies. As a producer and bandleader, she has released a string of influential recordings—including the double Grammy-winning Dear Ella—and founded her own label, DDB Records. Her most recent recording, 2025’s Elemental, with pianist Bill Charlap, added another to her list of nine Grammy nominations. An NEA Jazz Master, Doris Duke Artist, Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductee, and global Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations, her work continues to resonate far beyond the stage.

Joining her is acclaimed pianist and composer, Helen Sung, a Guggenheim Fellow whose work bridges virtuosity, intellect, and deep swing. A graduate of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance and winner of the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition, Sung has performed with luminaries including Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Wynton Marsalis. Equally active as an educator and interdisciplinary artist, she brings a richly nuanced approach to the piano—blending her classical roots with inventive jazz language.

This is a truly once-in-a-generation encounter with two extraordinary artists at the height of their powers. Dee Dee Bridgewater’s first performance on her Australian tour, and her first performance in the country in almost twelve years, makes this a genuinely historic moment for Sydney jazz audiences. Expect fire, elegance, storytelling, and sheer vocal mastery from one of the greats, matched with Helen Sung’s exhilarating virtuosity and boundless imagination, culminating in an absolutely unmissable concert.

She has a technique and musicality that bests most performers of her generation. – The Guardian UK

She ranks among the very best practitioners in the art of jazz singing.– Los Angeles Times

LINE-UP:
Dee Dee Bridgewater | vocals
Helen Sung | piano

Tickets on sale Thursday 30th April 2026, 10:00AM AEST