Michael Coggins has been a full time professional musician since the completion of his studies at the Jazz Department of the Australian National University in 2004.
Relocating to Sydney, he was soon in demand as a sideman with a diverse range of artists, including Darren Percival, Gervais Koffi & the African Diaspora, and the 10 Guitar Project.
Finding his niche initially in the World Music scene, Michael went on to perform regularly with most of Sydney's African artists, including Afro Moses (Ghana), Chris Gudu (Zimbabwe), Keyim Ba (Guinea), Dereb Desalegn (Ethiopia), Yasmin & Fanous (Sudan), and Chosani Afrique (Senegal).
In addition to performing at all of Sydney's major venues, including Sydney Opera House, The Basement, The Metro Theatre, The Factory Theatre, and many more, Michael has performed at countless festivals around Sydney and NSW.
Michael is featured on more than ten albums, including three that include his original compositions and three others that he produced.
With Chris Gudu & Afro Pamoja, Michael has toured Australia several times, both as a support act for visiting international artists Hugh Masekela and Jah Prayzah, and also in their own right as a headline act. Also with Chris Gudu, Michael had the rare honour of performing a 30 minute show on board a Virgin Australia 777 bound for Johannesburg, as part of the airline's celebration of the newly opened route.
Since 2014, Michael has performed more than 100 shows with award-winning jazz/rock group The Subterraneans, and more than 50 shows with Sonic Mayhem Orchestra.
In 2017, with the support of the Australia Council, Michael toured the Northern Territory with Chosani Afrique, performing in Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, and Melbourne.
