Heidi Soidinsalo (née Lind, b.1983) is a Helsinki-based sound designer, sound artist, and performance maker. Soidinsalo became a Master of Theater Arts in 2009 and has since worked actively as a sound designer in the fields of contemporary theater and dance. Her work has been heard both on the Finnish National Theater’s stages and in the experimental venues of contemporary performance art. In 2013 Soidinsalo was awarded the prize for Best Sound Design of the Year in Finland. She is a member of the Helsinki-based arts collective W A U H A U S.

 

In addition to creating performances, Soidinsalo has been teaching and writing about sound design as an integral part of theatre as an art form. In 2014 a book called “Ääneen ajateltua – kirjoituksia äänestä, esityksestä ja niiden kohtaamisista” (Thinking out loud – essays on sound, performances, and their encounters) was published by the Theatre Academy in Helsinki. Soidinsalo was both the editor and one of the eleven writers who contributed articles to the book, which aims to examine the relationship between performance and sound design, and broaden the field of written work about sound design as an art form. Soidinsalo worked as lecturer of sound design at the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki from 2015–2016. She has been a regular guest lecturer at the Academy since 2010. 

 

Soidinsalo’s working style is focused on creating sound-based works that evoke listening and the tactile nature of sound. Her working style ranges from cartoonish foley and playback works to minimalistic noise and sound art compositions. Soidinsalo has stated that she aims to create performances that cannot be discussed without talking about sound. In addition to the auditory aspects of performances she holds a keen interest in performance dramaturgy.