About this Artist
Mezzo-soprano CARIN GILFRY has been recognized as an exciting new talent in the world of classical singing. She made her professional debut singing Hansel in a concert version of Hansel and Gretel with the California Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005. Since then, her career has led her into the worlds of recital, concert, musical theater, and opera. Some operatic highlights include the U.S. premiere of Cavalli’s Eliogabalo conducted by Jane Glover at the Aspen Music Festival, Zweite Dame in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the Juilliard School, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel at the Aspen Music Festival, and the Austrian Woman in John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer conducted by the composer. In the summer of 2010, Gilfry created the role of Estrella in the world premiere of Lewis Spratlan’s Pulizer Prize-winning opera Life is a Dream at Santa Fe Opera. In November of the same year she made her LA Opera debut as Giovanna in Verdi’s Rigoletto under the musical direction of James Conlon. This summer, Gilfry will appear as Thelma Yablonski in the Glimmerglass Opera production of Later the Same Evening by John Musto.
Gilfry is an avid performer of concert and chamber music. In January 2009 she was chosen to participate in the Marilyn Horne Foundation masterclass series with Martin Katz at Carnegie Hall. In March 2009, Gilfry performed as part of the Les Arts Florissants residency at the Juilliard School under the direction of William Christie. In October 2008, she was lauded for her performance of Luciano Berio’s Circles with the Juilliard Axiom Ensemble, and in November 2009 she repeated her performance of Circles at the Musée du Louvre with a group from the Opéra National de Paris. The performance was met with great acclaim. Gilfry has appeared as a soloist in many concerts. Most recently, she appeared as the alto soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the American Youth Symphony at UCLA’s Royce Hall. In the fall of 2011 Gilfry will sing a recital of music written by female composers in collaboration with pianist Beth Nielsen in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Gilfry has also ventured into the world of American musical theater. In December 2009 she appeared alongside her father, baritone Rod Gilfry, as Liesl in 27 performances of The Sound of Music at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Gilfry is a native of Rancho Cucamonga, California. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Southern California’s Thortnon School of Music, and a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School. Gilfry is currently a member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program at LA Opera.