A committed recitalist, Gretchen debuted at Weill Hall in Elysium—Between Two Continents’ The Cry For Life—Passionate Exiled Voices, where, under the direction of Gregorij von Leïtis and the music direction of Dan Franklin Smith, she sang works by Aron, Foss, Hindemith, and Hirschberg.  Under the direction of Michael Lahr, she performed songs by Alexander, Dessau and Lustgarten in Fundstücke - from the Lahr/von Leïtis Archive in Germany and New York.  Gretchen has been assistant director to Mr. von Leïtis for a number of productions including Piscator’s Metropolis – Berlin, The Pursuit of Happiness, and Elysium’s International Summer Academy for young singers.

Gretchen is currently collaborating with guitarist Francisco Roldán on a cd of songs in Spanish and English to be released in early autumn.  She frequently performs works from Spain and the Americas in and around New York City with Francisco and pianist Alexander A. Wu.

In the contemporary realm, Gretchen has performed chamber music with New Music New York, including works by Gleaves, Glass and Warde.  She has offered songs by Copland, Hundley and Swenson with pianist LeAnn Overton at Merkin Hall.  Gretchen recently commissioned works by composers Rebecca Oswald and Lily Barmor Rose.

On the opera stage, Gretchen most recently sang Soeur Constance in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites with Hudson Opera Theatre.  Other credits include Anchorage Opera, Eugene Opera, Belleayre Festival Opera, Opera at Florham, Dicapo Opera, and National Lyric Opera.  Some of her roles have included Micaela, Serpina, Susanna, and Despina. 

The recipient of study grants from the German Academic Exchange Service and the Italian Cultural Institute, Gretchen has been a teaching artist for the Metropolitan Opera Guild.  Gretchen received her Master’s in Music from the University of Oregon, where she was also a graduate teaching fellow.  Gretchen was recently selected to participate in NYFA’s Artists as Entrepreneurs Bootcamp.

Natasha Layne Brien photo

Gretchen Farrar is a versatile singer with diverse repertoire in both concert and opera.  The Münchner Merkur described her 2009 performance of American songs with Elysium-Between Two Continents in Germany as “technically more than brilliant... an overall elegant tightrope-walk between charming entertainment and profound quality...” The New York Times noted her “passionate and shapely performance” of Ernesto Cordero’s songs with guitarist Francisco Roldán at the 2008 Mannes Guitar Festival. 

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