Joy Guidry is a bassoonist, versatile improviser, performance artist, and composer of experimental, daring new works that embody a deep love of storytelling; Joy’s music channels her inner child in honor of their ancestors and predecessors. The San Diego Tribune has hailed her performances as “lyrical and haunting…hair-raising and unsettling.” Joy was born in Houston, Texas, into a creative family that has shaped who she is today.

Joy has presented her original work at The Whitney Museum for American Art, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, The Kitchen, Redcat, Carnegie Hall, among many other venues. Joy has been commissioned by The National Sawdust, Long Beach Opera, JACK Quartet, Gaudeamus Festival, and the I&I Foundation. Joy has been featured in festivals, including the La Biennale di Venezia, A’Larme Festival, Cologne Jazz Week, Spoleto Festival USA, Big Ears Festival, and many more.

Joy holds a bachelor’s degree in Bassoon Performance from the Peabody Conservatory and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Mannes School of Music, and is currently a Doctoral Fellow at the University of California San Diego. In addition, Joy Guidry is the winner of the 2021 Berlin Prize for Young Artists. She Is currently playing on a Heckel Bassoon number 6101.