ABOUT

Heather Rivas is a songwriter, music director and pianist/keyboardist whose work spans world tours, TV performances, and music education. Born and bred in Los Angeles – with Honduran, El Salvadorian and German-Irish roots, Heather's musical foundation was shaped at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and through continuing on at Berklee College of Music (B.M. Performance and Music Business) and California Institute of the Arts (M.F.A Jazz Studies).

Heather has toured and performed with numerous artists. At just the age of 17 they toured with jazz trumpeter Ingrid Jensen through the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Since then, they have focused on collaborating across genres as a live and studio musician. Notably, Heather worked closely with Latin Grammy-winning producer Javier Limón to record with artist Tonina for her debut album, Black Angels—which was featured on Barack Obama’s Favorite Songs of 2018 list. As a keyboardist and music director, they have performed alongside artists including Reneé Rapp, Laufey, Lewis Capaldi, Ben Platt, Hope Tala, Jacob Banks, LoveLeo, and Jamie Miller. Their television appearances include Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, Triple J Like A Version and MTV Push. Heather is also a Nord Endorsed Artist.

In addition to performing, Heather is deeply committed to music education. They have served as a graduate TA at CalArts, taught youth music theory through the Community Arts Partnership, and mentored students as a Stanford Jazz Mentor Fellow. Today, they continue to support the next generation of musicians through private instruction and an educational YouTube platform.

Currently, Heather is on the road as the keyboardist and touring Music Director for two-time Grammy award-winning artist, Laufey. When not on tour, they are in Los Angeles, writing, producing, and teaching. Their debut album introduces their alt-pop sound, marking a new chapter in their creative journey.