Education
DMA, Voice Performance and Pedagogy, University of Houston
MM, Lamar University
BM, University of Houston
Areas of Focus
Applied Voice
Vocal Pedagogy
Diversifying Art Song Repertoire
Dr. Alfred comes to us most recently from Texas Southern University where she served as an Associate Professor, Coordinator of Voice, and the Director of Opera Workshop. Dr. Alfred, in addition to being a renowned vocalist, is also an active scholar with numerous publications and presentations.
Praised for her “bright and passionate tone” (Houston Chronicle), soprano Gwendolyn Alfred made her Houston Grand Opera debut in a newly-commissioned work that landed her in the prestigious Texas Monthly magazine. Her Houston Symphony debut featured her as a soloist in their touring Summer Community Concert Series and she additionally sang the soprano solos in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Houston Civic Symphony & Fort Bend Symphony) and Carmina Burana (Fort Bend Symphony). Her most notable opera roles include Emeline (HGOco’s What Wings They Were), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Giulietta (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Magda (The Consul), Contessa Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), Madama Cortese (Il Viaggio a Reims), Mrs. Gobineau (The Medium), Cinna (Lucio Silla), and Maria Corona (The Saint of Bleecker Street) with such companies as HGOco, Opera in the Heights, Miami Music Festival, and The Moores Opera Center.
As a scholar, her research on William Grant Still’s opera, Troubled Island, was published in Black Americans in Higher Education: A Review of Social Science Research, Volume 8. Alfred has performed recitals on “The Black Female Composer” nationally and has presented her research at the Texoma NATS Regional Conference, NATS National Conference, NATS Journal of Singing, and The International Florence Price Festival. Her mission is to influence and build well-rounded musicians from diverse backgrounds with her love for a wide array of genres, and her eclectic experience with various musical styles.