bio
Originally from Chicago, mezzo soprano Gretchen Windt channels her strong presence, engaging personality, and expressive musicality into performances in genres ranging from opera and operetta to symphonic repertoire, art song recitals, and musical theater. She has completed Young Artist and Apprentice Artist programs with companies including Sarasota Opera, Utah Symphony & Opera, Sugar Creek Symphony and Song Festival in Illinois, and the Ohio Light Opera. She has returned for subsequent engagements with several of these companies; most notably performing leading roles in operettas and musicals as a Resident Professional Artist with the Ohio Light Opera for four seasons. She performed regularly with Cincinnati Opera; highlights include mainstage performances of Golijov’s Ainadamar (Voice of the Fountain), the world premiere of Hailstork’s Rise For Freedom, and a touring production of The Magic Flute. She has also performed with Opera Birmingham, Opera Huntsville, Opera Southwest, Chesapeake Chamber Opera, Opera Idaho, and regional Chicago companies including Bowen Park Opera, OperaModa, and DuPage Opera Theatre. Internationally, she performed the title role in La Cenerentola in Italy with La Musica Lirica.
She has performed and covered roles including Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), both Third Lady and Papagena (The Magic Flute), Mercedes (Carmen), Meg Page (Falstaff), Pitti-Sing (The Mikado), Jo (Adamo’s Little Women), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), and the title roles in Massenet’s Cendrillon and Offenbach's La Périchole. Solo concert credits include Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Faure’s Requiem, and Bach’s Magnificat. Musical theatre credits include Meg Brockie (Brigadoon), Dolores (Babes in Arms), Alma Hix (The Music Man), Mae (The Pajama Game), Gloria Kramer (One Touch of Venus), and ensemble in My Fair Lady, Candide, Kiss Me, Kate, Call Me Madam, and more.
Recently, she performed the title role in the world premiere of Jeremy Smith's Faith: A Folk Opera at the historic Ritz Theatre produced by the Tennessee Valley Art Association. She was an Artist in Residence with the Bay View Music Festival in northern Michigan performing classical, musical theatre, and commercial music selections on concerts and recitals while teaching and coaching young artists preparing roles in Don Giovanni and The Music Man. She also performed the world premiere of Martin Hebel's Mother of Exile for mezzo soprano, flute, and piano at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. Upcoming engagements include Handel's Messiah with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra at the Alys Stephens Center.
Equally passionate about teaching, she is Associate Professor and Voice Area Coordinator at the University of North Alabama. She has been invited to present and perform at numerous conferences, conventions, and festivals including National NATS Conferences, the SERNATS (Southeastern Region NATS) Scholar and Artist Series, the Music by Women Festival at Mississippi University for Women, the Darkwater Festival at UNC—Pembroke, the Sam Houston State University Art Song Festival, Alabama Music Educators Association Conference, Iowa Choral Directors Association Summer Symposium, and Musical Theatre Educators' Alliance Conference. She was invited to participate in the Summer Voice Institute at Northwestern University with W. Stephen Smith. She is an active member of NATS currently serving as Vice President for the Alabama State Chapter, she was selected to participate in the prestigious NATS Intern Program in 2020, and her students regularly place in state, regional, and national NATS Student Auditions. Her students have gone on to graduate and post-graduate studies at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Temple University, and University of Alabama. They have performed with College Light Opera Company, Red River Lyric Opera, Harrower Summer Opera Workshop, Seagle Festival, and more.
She graduated from the University of Utah with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice. In addition, she completed degrees at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (M.M. in voice/opera) and North Park University (B.M.E. in music education/voice) in Chicago, IL. Currently based in Florence, Alabama, when she isn’t performing or teaching, she gets to immerse herself in Southern dialect and cuisine.
She has performed and covered roles including Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), both Third Lady and Papagena (The Magic Flute), Mercedes (Carmen), Meg Page (Falstaff), Pitti-Sing (The Mikado), Jo (Adamo’s Little Women), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), and the title roles in Massenet’s Cendrillon and Offenbach's La Périchole. Solo concert credits include Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Faure’s Requiem, and Bach’s Magnificat. Musical theatre credits include Meg Brockie (Brigadoon), Dolores (Babes in Arms), Alma Hix (The Music Man), Mae (The Pajama Game), Gloria Kramer (One Touch of Venus), and ensemble in My Fair Lady, Candide, Kiss Me, Kate, Call Me Madam, and more.
Recently, she performed the title role in the world premiere of Jeremy Smith's Faith: A Folk Opera at the historic Ritz Theatre produced by the Tennessee Valley Art Association. She was an Artist in Residence with the Bay View Music Festival in northern Michigan performing classical, musical theatre, and commercial music selections on concerts and recitals while teaching and coaching young artists preparing roles in Don Giovanni and The Music Man. She also performed the world premiere of Martin Hebel's Mother of Exile for mezzo soprano, flute, and piano at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. Upcoming engagements include Handel's Messiah with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra at the Alys Stephens Center.
Equally passionate about teaching, she is Associate Professor and Voice Area Coordinator at the University of North Alabama. She has been invited to present and perform at numerous conferences, conventions, and festivals including National NATS Conferences, the SERNATS (Southeastern Region NATS) Scholar and Artist Series, the Music by Women Festival at Mississippi University for Women, the Darkwater Festival at UNC—Pembroke, the Sam Houston State University Art Song Festival, Alabama Music Educators Association Conference, Iowa Choral Directors Association Summer Symposium, and Musical Theatre Educators' Alliance Conference. She was invited to participate in the Summer Voice Institute at Northwestern University with W. Stephen Smith. She is an active member of NATS currently serving as Vice President for the Alabama State Chapter, she was selected to participate in the prestigious NATS Intern Program in 2020, and her students regularly place in state, regional, and national NATS Student Auditions. Her students have gone on to graduate and post-graduate studies at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Temple University, and University of Alabama. They have performed with College Light Opera Company, Red River Lyric Opera, Harrower Summer Opera Workshop, Seagle Festival, and more.
She graduated from the University of Utah with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice. In addition, she completed degrees at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (M.M. in voice/opera) and North Park University (B.M.E. in music education/voice) in Chicago, IL. Currently based in Florence, Alabama, when she isn’t performing or teaching, she gets to immerse herself in Southern dialect and cuisine.
