Alumni and Supporters

Bachelor of Music (Jazz) Honours (2006)

Winner of the 2019 ECU International Alumni Award

Linda’s dedication to progressing the concept of equality within music has been an inspiration to many women around the world, and especially in Australia, where her career began.

Born in Malaysia and raised by Chinese immigrants in Perth, Western Australia, Linda began her musical career early, undertaking classical piano lessons at age four. After discovering the clarinet, bassoon and electric bass during her school years, Linda began her Bachelor of Music (Jazz) in 2002 at WAAPA.

She was led to WAAPA after seeing the amazing musicians who had come out of there before her.

“During highschool, I started playing bassoon in the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra’s Composer’s Ensemble,” said Linda.

“I would see the amazing composers and play some of their original music. I was also able to sit in the woodwind section and turn around and see some of the improvising jazz musicians who were on the raised platform behind me. I was just in awe every week, it led me onto my journey to WAAPA.”

Inspired by those jazz musicians, Linda took up the upright bass during her time at WAAPA, and studied solo transcriptions of Dave Holland, with her thesis exploring their classical Indian music rhythms.

Since graduating with honours from WAAPA at ECU, Linda has become one of the most in demand jazz bassists in the world. She moved to New York in 2006, where she completed her master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music.

After moving to New York she rapidly progressed up the ladder while performing with leading artists like Kenny Barron, Geri Allen, Joe Lovano, and Vijay Iyer while at the same time developing her own ensemble and original repertoire, which in itself has now become a headlining draw-card at global jazz festivals.

In addition to her tremendous musical skills, Linda has also pioneered equality in the music industry. Linda is an original member of the "We Have Voice" Collective, an organisation based in the US that is working towards equality for women in the music industry, and fighting against sexism and sexual harassment in the musical workplace.

"I’ve been inspired by many musicians and artists around me that have an element to their work which is somewhat fearless. I think that’s important. To create work that is fresh and new and exciting and push some boundaries."

This group has had a huge global reach and impact during the #metoo movement and is comprised of extremely high profile and influential female artists including Terri Lyne Carrington, Imani Uzuri, Tamar Sella, Ganavya Doraiswamy, Sara Serpa, Fay Victor, Rajna Swaminathan, María Grand and Jen Shyu. The organisation developed a code of conduct that articulates what a more equitable workplace might look like and sets expectations for change in the industry — this code has been used as a basis in many university and music organisations around the world.

She is a current member of the Pat Metheny quartet, which has contained some of the biggest names in the industry over the 40 or so year lifespan of the band. With this group, she performs as a headline act at festivals all around the globe, and recorded the album “From This Place” of which the title track was nominated for a Grammy.

She is an active double bassist, electric bassist and composer, composing music for various ensembles and short films, also participating in the BMI Film Composers Workshop and Sundance Labs at Skywalker Ranch. Linda has composed for short films including Sabrina MacCormick’s “A Good Egg” which was featured in the New York Shorts Festival.

She is currently scoring a documentary about the 2007 landmark Supreme Court Case which led to the US regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. Linda was also featured on the latest Pixar movie “Soul” performing with Jonathan Batiste, Tia Fuller, Marcus Gilmore and the legendary drummer Roy Haynes. Linda is a Jerome Foundation Fellow, and has received many awards, most recently the APRA Art Award for Best New Jazz Work.

Her career has been truly global, spending three quarters of the year (prior to coronavirus travel restrictions) traveling the globe performing, teaching and raising awareness about women's equality in music.

“I feel thrilled to be accepting the International Alumni Award from ECU. WAAPA has given me so many amazing moments in my life,” said Linda.

“WAAPA has also given me so many great tools. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for WAAPA. The instructors there, the peers that I met who really opened the doors for me to living in New York City, to playing music, to recording music. I’m thrilled to be back in Perth to accept this award.”