April Gutierrez

A native of Colorado, Ms. Gutierrez is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, Juilliard Opera Center and the University of Northern Colorado, where she was awarded the 2005 Outstanding Alumna Medallion for 2005 for achievement in the creative and performing arts. Since her professional debut as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi with Opera Colorado, she has sung many of the most demanding roles in the lyric soprano repertoire. She has sung over 30 performances of Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata throughout the United States with the New York City Opera National Company. Her portrayal of Mimi has been called "captivating, enhanced by her warm, smoky timbre". Other operatic performances include Musetta with Opera Festival of New Jersey and the New York City Opera National Company, Mimi with Gold Coast Opera and Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Caramoor Festival, Lucia in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with Mobile Opera, and Micaela in Carmen with Dayton Opera.

Equally at home on the concert stage, she has appeared with many orchestras in the US and abroad. Notable engagements include her debut with the American Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in the world premiere of Bruckner's Psalms. Her growing concert repertoire includes the Verdi Requiem, Carmina Burana, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Mozart Requiem, Brahms Requiem, Britten War Requiem, Beethoven Ninth Symphony and Poulenc Gloria. European concert tours include performances with France's La Genesse Musicales, a Scandinavian tour and a Mediterranean concert tour including performances in Italy, France, Morocco, Spain, and Portugal.

Ms. Gutierrez is the recipient of many distinguished awards. She is the winner of a Sullivan Foundation Career Grant, the Liederkranz Foundation competition, and the Jenny Lind Competition for sopranos. As a New York regional winner in the New York Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she was named Outstanding Mozart Singer.

In addition to her concert schedule, Ms. Gutierrez maintains a voice studio in NYC and in the Hudson Valley where she resides with her husband, bass-baritone, Alfred Walker.

Recent master classes include sessions at the University of Northern Colorado and Mesa College.

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Hudson Valley Academy of Performing Arts
957 Route 82
West Taghkanic, NY 12502

Telephone: (518) 851-5501
Fax: (518) 851-5505
E-Mail: info@hvapa.com