The American mezzo-soprano, Wendy Gilles, obtained her Bachelor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance and Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University (1999-2004); and her Master of Music degree in Jazz Voice Performance from New England Conservatory of Music (2004-2006).
Wendy Gilles has spent the last thirteen years in New York, carving out a niche for herself in two distinct areas of its music scene. As the featured vocalist of the renowned Gil Evans Project (since May 2011), her “sweet, declarative voice” (eJazzNews) and “infectious performances” (AllMusic) on their two GRAMMY Award-nominated albums, "Centennial and Lines of Color", have been roundly praised by critics. She has performed as a leader or featured vocalist in New York City at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, Jazz Standard, Cornelia Street Cafe, 55 Bar, and Shapeshifter Lab, and in many fine concert venues across the country.
Wendy Gilles is also an accomplished church musician and choral singer, and sings with the finest professional ensembles in the city, including Voices of Ascension, Clarion Choir, Musica Sacra, Sacred Music in a Sacred Space, Vox Vocal Ensemble, and Concert Chorale of New York (since August 2013). The Concert Chorale performs regularly with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and with them, she has performed many major classical masterworks under the direction of such luminaries as Jaap Van Zweden, Alan Gilbert, Gustavo Dudamel, Zubin Mehta, Michael Tilson Thomas, and shared the stage with Danny Elfman, Jeremy Irons, Stephanie Blythe, Marion Cotillard, and Ingrid Michaelson. She can be heard each Sunday at St. Bartholomew’s Church (since October 2018), where she is a section leader for the St. Bart’s Singers, and a member of the professional Choir of St. Bartholomew's Church, New York City, and each Friday and Saturday, as a member of the Temple Emanu-El Choir (since September 2019). She also serves as NYCCC Administrative Assistant at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (since February 2018). |