CloudyaH

Born in the Tyrolean metropolis of Innsbrooklyn, capital of the Alps, and raised from kindergarten age in Wildermieming, a small, sleepy village, amidst cowbells, German tourists and Bergdoktor TV series shoots, I discovered music when I was barely a metre tall… as a music school child, I received guitar, violin, piano and singing lessons, then studied instrumental music pedagogy at the Mozarteum in Innsbruck.

During my studies, I formed my first band and started writing my own songs. My training was quite classical and although I like a lot about classical music, I probably never felt 100% comfortable in classical music for my own musical expression. Pop music was still a bit exotic at university back then, so it took me a while to figure out what I actually wanted. After a songwriting workshop in Vienna, however, it was clear – this is what I want to do.

So in 2011, I moved out into the big wide world, from Tyrol to England, to study at the British Academy of New Music and the University of Westminster (Degree ‘popular musician’ and BA ‘commercial music’). The degree itself was only of limited help in retrospect, but my time in London was all the more so – I gained my first stage experience at open mic nights, met many great musicians and then played in several bands.

On a slightly surprising side note: My violin only came with me to London because it fitted in my hand luggage (a new guitar in Denmark Street, London’s Tin Pan Alley/music store hub, was my first investment in my songwriting career), but I actually assumed I wouldn’t really need it anymore. However, with all the bands I played with in London, the violin suddenly became my most sought-after asset.

After about 150 gigs in London in 4 years and first recordings while working as a waitress, I simply ran out of money, to be honest. In contrast to bands from the federal states who perhaps come to Vienna with big dreams and hopes, my decision to move to Vienna was more an act of desperation – but it turned out to be a true blessing.

Already in my first month in Vienna, I met a whole network of musicians and ‘likeminded people’ who met monthly to support each other, share contacts, write songs and suddenly it was clear, ‘making a living through music’ is a real, tangible possibility.

In recent years, I have been active with several bands, given concerts in Austria, Croatia, Luxembourg, Germany and the Czech Republic, played violin on albums by musician friends and gradually built up several mainstays as a musician.

At the beginning of 2020, the time had come: I had gathered enough contacts and booked enough concerts to officially take the plunge into self-employment. And two months later, the first lockdown came. I probably don’t need to explain what that means.

Since her arrival in Vienna, Claudia Heidegger has been musically active in several ways: she is successfully building a solo career, is in demand as an accompanying musician, is a member of Shane Ó Fearghail’s band “The Host” and is working intensively on several duo projects with musician friends.
Her solo concerts are not loud, because you have to listen to her songs. She picks up her guitar, closes her eyes, almost touches the microphone and begins to sing, softly but intensely, accompanied by exquisite fingerpicking. Her songs lead deep into her inner self, where fears, dreams and longings meet, where the need for change fights against the illusion of security and where no excuses apply when it comes to taking responsibility.