Electronic Press Kit
Toby Wren
guitarist | composer | improviser
Brisbane and Sunshine Coast
m: 0438 106 308
e: toby.wren@optusnet.com.au
"…extraordinary…" The Australian
"Timeless and unaffected… sweet, bluesy and inscrutable…" Courier-Mail
The Music
Toby Wren makes music that is hard to categorise and easy to listen to. Drawing on jazz, contemporary classical, blues, funk, and world music traditions, his playing has been described as possessing "a full ringing tone and suppleness of melodic invention" (Limelight Magazine) and "an appeal that transcends traditional categories" (Barry O'Sullivan, Dingo Jazz Magazine). The Courier-Mail called his quartet "a thrilling ride with some unexpected detours."
Whether performing original compositions or improvising freely in the moment, Wren brings genuine musicality to every setting — accessible enough for a café crowd, substantial enough for a concert stage.
He has collaborated with a range of artists including Megan Washington, Katie Noonan, James Morrison, Debbie Reynolds, Trevor Hart, Rafael Karlen, Andrew Butt, and Mutable Objects.
Recordings
Toby has released eight albums under his own name spanning twenty-five years of creative work, from the genre-bending The Carnatic Jazz Experiment (2011) to the widely praised Songs for Dead Sailors (2025), released on CD, LP, and with published scores through Made Now Music. His catalogue is available on Bandcamp and through his website.
Listen to recordings on Toby’s Bandcamp page.
Credentials
Toby holds a PhD and masters degrees in music performance and composition and has taught jazz guitar at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, and QUT. He is currently a Senior Lecturer and the Chair of Scholarship at SAE University College. His academic work on intercultural improvisation, jazz standards, and creative practice has been published in Ethnomusicology, the Journal of Jazz Studies, and Perfect Beat, among others.