Today we’d like to introduce you to Gwendolyn Alfred.
Hi Gwendolyn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story is an interesting one indeed. I was born and raised in Port Arthur, TX and moved to Houston to attend college at the University of Houston. Though my plans were to pursue Pharmacy and Music, I chose to major in Music Education at the Moores School of Music. After two years at UH, finding my true solo voice, and being inspired by my voice professor, Cynthia Clayton to pursue Vocal Performance as my concentration, I then begin to audition for lead opera roles and was cast as an undergraduate student. This not only kickstarted my love for opera, but then progressed into an overall love for art song and recital repertoire. After graduating with my degree in Vocal Performance, I decided to move back to my hometown and teach high school choir, all while pursuing my Master’s degree at Lamar University. Though I enjoyed teaching groups of singers, my heart truly found fulfillment in working with students one-on-one privately. I knew then that I would continue my studies after my Master’s degree, and I returned to the University of Houston to earn a doctorate degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy. After earning this degree at 29, my goal was to continue performing as much as possible and to also teach private voice at the collegiate level. After debuting with the Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera’s outreach program, featuring a newly-composed opera that landed me in the Texas Monthly magazine, I was then hired as an Assistant Professor of Voice at Texas Southern University. After teaching at TSU for seven years and earning tenure at the young age of 36, I then set my eyes on even higher heights and felt the urge to expand my horizons. In 2023, I began my journey at Texas Christian University and I am currently on faculty as an Assistant Professor of Voice. Also, I have embarked upon a national performance tour that will reach international status in July 2025. Go Frogs!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My road has been far from smooth and linear. As a small town girl, there were a lot of things that I did not experience until moving to a larger city. Many people truly do not understand the level of tenacity required to find your singing voice and build it consistently. When auditioning for work, there were a lot of denials received, which taught me to build a thick skin and “trust the process,” as well as not compare my individual journey as a singer to anyone else’s. It takes a lot of mental fortitude for sure! After reaching professional status, I now face the reality of not seeing many people that look like me in the field that I’ve chosen. This has inspired me to continue to be true to who I am as a teacher and singer and always motivate my students, especially the ones that look like me, to reach for higher heights. My goal is to be a vessel of inspiration for anyone I encounter.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a soprano and voice professor at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. I specialize in teaching healthy vocal technique to students on the high school and collegiate level. As a performer, I mainly sing concert and recital repertoire. Recently, my solo recital featuring the music of black women composers has received great traction across national stages. Along with performing this specific repertoire, lately I’ve had new pieces specifically written for me to premiere across the US and beyond!
What’s next?
I’m looking forward to continuing my performance tour and recording my first album at the end of this year!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: gdalfredsoprano
