Frances Bigelow

Frances Bigelow is a Seattle-based composer and coloratura soprano. She holds a dual Bachelor of Music degree from Portland State University, where she studied composition with Renée Favand-See and voice with Christine Meadows. Her work has been performed by groups including New York’s Choral Chameleon Ensemble, friends after good sound, and the Portland Symphonic Choir.

Her opera roles include the First Lady and Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte with PSU Opera, as well as Susannah in scenes from Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah with Queer Opera. She has also been featured as a soloist in the Queer Opera Song Program. She has performed as a chorister with ensembles including PSU Rose and Thorn, Kirkland Choral Society, the St. James Cathedral Choir, and the Oregon Symphony.

An accomplished singer herself, Frances has a keen interest in writing music for voices, whether that be choral music, art song, musical theatre, or opera. Current and past projects include choral settings of works by women poets; a song cycle for soprano and piano entitled The Slow Door: Five Poems of Christina Rossetti; vocal and instrumental chamber music; text-based aleatory music; and a still-in-progress Shakespearean opera adaptation.

To hear Frances' music and stay up-to-date on what she's doing, please check out her Youtube and social media profiles, and be sure to sign up for her email newsletter.