Heather Fetrow
Susan's Introduction
I'm so happy to introduce you to this amazing soprano and fellow human! I met Heather at a summer program for opera singers in Los Angeles. Heather stood out as a woman on a mission to find meaning in her career and singing. Over the few years after that summer Heather found her calling: to promote women composers. Once she found her mission, Heather went to work crowdfunding for a CD and getting the word out. Heather and her collaborators have made amazing strides in getting beautiful recordings of previously unheard works into the world. Brava Heather!
Heather promotes the musical works of female composers, vocal artists, and role models both past and present.
She does this work through educational musical performances designed to inspire audiences through song and story. Because the artistic work of women has been underrepresented throughout history, her work intentionally places the work of women as the focal point of music history to frame this problem with a lens of exposure. She makes clear comparisons of their work to that of more traditionally well-known male composers and musical works. This creates the effect of highlighting the contrast of the feminine perspective and women’s vast contributions to the musical arts. Heather’s work is designed to prove that the quality of their work rivals that of their male counterparts, often even surpassing it.
Interview With Heather
I sing because...
I sing because singing is embedded deep within who I am and how I relate to the world around me. Through my singing, I express things for which words are not enough. Singing also allows me to learn more about the greater human experience, and gain a deeper understanding of music and poetry and the potential relationships between the two. Singing has brought me such incredible life experiences, including meeting my husband who is also a singer and sharing musical moments of joy with family and friends growing up and still today. Singing binds me in community to others and offers me a way to "give back" all that I have been gifted with from the generations of artists and musicians who came before me.
I pay my bills by...
I pay my bills by singing in many church and professional choirs, as a soloist with local and sometimes regional orchestras, for opera chorus in productions of the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, and in my recital series "Voices of Women: From Unknown to Renowned" which has premiered in five states along the east coast. Recently I got paid to demonstrate Baroque ornamentation for a virtual masterclass at Westchester University with legendary soprano Dr. Julianne Baird. I also have a mid-sized private voice studio and teach choral music part time at an all-girls private school, where I serve as musical director of the winter musical. I currently maintain a Patreon page with six patrons that support my efforts by giving monthly towards my recital series, blog and creating new content for my website and social media platforms.
I also love to...
I also love to write music, dance, read, travel, visit museums and spend time with family and friends. I enjoy writing about women composers whose music I have discovered recently and fundraising, lately for my own projects when I have a need or an idea for a fresh direction with my singing. I especially enjoy collaboration, learning, and teaching others. I suspect I'm the type who learns by teaching. I love opera, musical theater, and the "in-between" areas and feel fortunate that my voice lends itself to many genres of music thanks to a great technical foundation and dedicated mentors. On days off since the pandemic hit, I unwind by catching up on Masterpiece Theater episodes or going for a drive or a long walk while listening to a Playlist of some kind. My husband and I love playing word games. I love visual artwork and sketching and color for fun or stress relief.
