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Andrea Breen is an Australian multimedia artist and composer with an interest in collaboration, performance and improvisation across the arts. She creates acoustic art while researching the generative and interactive processes of sound, word (poetic texts), image (painting) and movement improvisation (dance).

Andrea Breen has worked with international teachers of performance improvisation Andrew Morrish, Al Wunder, Peter Trotman and Ruth Zaporah and attends the annual improvisation summit Precipice.

In 2014 she was commissioned to collaborate with New York-based Australian choreographer Rebecca McCormac (CoreDance Contemporary), to create the sound for dance performances of Of Loss: Grief's Transitions.

In 2003 Andrea Breen co-established the Hobart women's improvisation collective and in 2015 she co-founded, and is resident composer for, the Nelipot Collective, a group that strives to bring awareness to audiences through dance and music performances referencing the impacts of the climate crisis and responses to local and global environments. Nelipot has performed Seasons & Reasons (2016), Adrift (at the Bay of Fires Winter Arts Festival, 2018/2019), Vital (Cygnet Folk Festival, 2023) and other works in Lutruwita/Tasmania. Nelipot continues to develop work in response to current existential concerns.

Andrea is a violist in the Lutruwita Art Orchestra. The ensemble creates diverse musics and performances through improvisation, commissions and collaboration, including with First Nations artist Dwaynne EverettSmith (2024) and members' contributions and compositions (Songs that We Carry, 2024). Andrea curated the Women's Improvisation Festival in Hobart, Easter 2025.

Andrea presented a live improvisation (online) at the Performance Studies Network conference, University of Surrey UK, 2022 and conducts classes in improvisation in Hobart. Recent performances include at the Launceston Improvised Music Association, MONA, the Clarence Jazz Festival and at various Hobart community events. She was the support artist for William Basinski's Hobart concert (January 2025).

Andrea Breen's sound installations include: t[w]o islands (Sidespace Hobart 2021), Dark Edge of Europe (Kinvara, Ireland 2019), Cahoots (Kinvara, Ireland, 2022), Small Daily Showings (MIECAT Gallery, Melbourne, 2013), Res/pond/ing (Jugglers Art Space, Brisbane 2010), Will the real Australia please stand up (University of Tasmania Gallery 1996 and Contemporary Art Space Tasmania 1997), improvisation-image-voice, a collaborative studio recording with Tasmanian poets (1999) and a performance in the national Improvisation Awards (ABC Radio, 1999). She was commisioned to compose for the film HERSELF for the St Brigid celebration in Gort, Irleand (2023). She has completed three artist's residencies at the Burren College of Art, co Clare, Ireland and will complete an artist's residency at All That We Are (in Lutruwita) in 2025.

She has devised, collaborated on and directed musical theatre and dance works at the Adelaide Fringe (dancemusic 2015), Hobart Fringe Festivals (Conundrum 2001, Clown Pieces 2002), and has been a musician with Playback Theatre. Recordings from her oeuvre have been broadcast on the ABC's programs Sound Quality and the listening room, and on EDGE radio (community radio, Hobart).

Andrea Breen studied composition with Don Kay (University of Tasmania) and with Ann Ghandar and Peter McNamara (University of New England). She has completed a PhD (UTas), a Bachelor of Music Hons (Composition and Performance, UNE), Associate Diploma in Music (violin), Diploma of Teaching, Graduate Diploma in Creative Arts Therapy (MIECAT) and a Graduate Certificate in Gestalt Therapy. She studied violin and viola with Elizabeth Morgan, John Curro, Simon Oswell, Jan Sedivka and Stella Nemet. She works as a therapist and supervisor and teaches Therapeutic Arts Practice at MIECAT.

Andrea Breen's acoustic improvisational processes blend looping, acoustic instruments, play with found objects and vocalisations. Collaboration with other artists include with Karlin Love, Kim Kerze, Bek Varcoe and Tim Parmaretos.

Andrea Breen — current to April 2025