Coloratura soprano Gretchen McNeil has spent her entire life on the stage, first performing professionally as a tap dancer at age 5, before finally settling on vocal music. After receiving her Masters in Music degree from the University of Maryland, Gretchen returned to her home town of San Francisco to begin her professional career. She was most recently seen in the Bay Area as Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Carlotta in the premiere production of Phantom of the Opera, Part II - Revenge of the Divas, a new work with music from Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor, both with the California Chamber Opera. Other recent appearances include Adele in Die Fledermaus with the Sacramento Opera Theater, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos and Woglinde in Das Rheingold with SFLO, Gretel in Hänsel and Gretel with Golden Gate Opera, Greta Fiorentino in Street Scene and Madame Goldentrill in The Impresario with the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute, and a highly anticipated reprise of Madame Goldentrill with Livermore Valley Opera’s "Opera in the Vineyard."
As a graduate student, Gretchen performed with the prestigious Maryland Opera Studio, under the direction of Leon Major. Her roles there included The Lady with a Cake Box in Dominick Argento’s Postcard from Morocco and Serpetta in La finta giardiniera, as well as covering the roles of Servilia in La clemenza di Tito, Geraldine in A Hand of Bridge and Helena in Hindemith’s Hin und Zurück. Partial roles include Armindo in Partenope, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Marenka in The Bartered Bride, Blondchen in Die Enführung aus dem Serail, Poppea in L’Incoronazione di Poppea and Fiametta in Franz von Suppé’s Boccaccio with the Maryland Opera Studio; Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with the Crittenden Opera Workshop; and Anna Bolena in Anna Bolena with Logical Solution Productions. Gretchen was also privileged to have a role written for her in the original cabaret show A Tale of Two Cities, written by Kathleen Cahill where she portrayed Sally Bowles and Marlene Dietrich.
Gretchen earned a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of California at Los Angeles, graduating cum laude. As an undergraduate, Gretchen performed the roles of La prima cercatrice in Suor Angelica and Susanna in Act IV of The Marriage of Figaro. As a member of the UCLA Opera Ensemble, she also performed excerpts from Fidelio (Marzelline), Carmen (Frasquita), The Consul (Anna Gomez) and Lakmé (Lakmé).
In addition to opera, Gretchen has enjoyed a varied career in oratorio and musical theater. She has appeared as the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s C- minor Mass and Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ, Faure's Requiem and Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio, with the St. Stephen Martyr Ensemble of Washington, D.C., and her musical theater roles have included Ado Annie in Oklahoma, Sandy in Grease, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, and La Diva d’amore in Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Gretchen currently resides in Los Angeles, CA where she works as a voice over artist. Her voice can be heard as Mary in the G4 show "Code Monkeys" and as various characters on [adult swim]'s "Minoriteam."