Today I am talking to Gráinne Gillis. She is a versatile performer with a portfolio career which includes working as an actress, singer, voice over artist. In addition to her varied work across various artistic and creative fields, Gráinne has taken her skills outside the artistic arena into fields such as hospitality, marketing, education and consultancy. With her philosophies such as “be the best at what you do, whatever it is you do” and “instead of asking what the art world can give to you, ask whatever it is that you can give to the art world” Gráinne exudes a powerful presence in a world in need of individuals who listen and lead.
Hailed by the Observer as a voice with 'rich, dramatic potential', Gráinne Gillis is an Irish-American opera singer, actress and voiceover artist She read Music at University College Cork and graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. In 2018/19 she sang Flora in the Olivier award-winning King’s Head Theatre’s production of La Traviata, and opened the London Song Festival. Other highlights include her one-woman show Mezzo Sings The Bard, Hélène in Faust et Hélène, the Old Woman in Candide and La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod 2018. In 2019/20 she sang Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica, Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana and Aksinya in Lady Macbeth of Mtsenk. She also made her Irish debut as Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance at Cork Opera House, and Vampyrmeister/Suse in Der Vampyr for Gothic Opera (nominated for an Offie) . Covid cancellations in 2020 included a national tour of Ireland with Sea Trilogy as well as 1st Magd in Elektra.
She has long had an interest in new ways of bringing opera to audiences and collaborated with director Julia Mintzer and The Pleiades Project in NYC on their series ‘24’ (now on InVision). During the pandemic, Gráinne has been involved in online projects No Room No Room No Room for Opera Harmony which was aired on Operavision. Gráinne appeared in Edward Lambert’s short opera Last Party on Earth on film and at Tête-à-Tête 2020, as well as Bread and Circuses, a new opera by American composer Liam Wade, at Tête-à-Tête 2020 and the Playground Theatre. Future projects include developing more shows, plus a revival of Mezzo Sings The Bard. She is thankful to be supported this season by Help Musicians UK.
As well as her opera and voiceover work, Gráinne’s passions are yoga, Shakespeare and politics, and she has written for the Huff Post UK, the Irish Times, and for RTÉ Lyric FM. For more information, visit www.grainnegillis.com.
Instagram: @grainnegillis
Twitter: @GrainneGillis
