Gigi Mitchell-Velasco
An instrumentalist and singer's conductor
Welcome to my home on the web! I am so happy to be able to share some of my experiences with you here!
With a lifelong journey through many iterations of career in the music industry, I have lived the experiences of both an orchestral player having held numerous positions in orchestras both on the concert stage and in the opera pit, and as a singer and interpreter of both concert repertoire and operas, working with top orchestras and some of the world's greatest conductors such as Jaap Van Zweden, Helmut Rilling, Michael-Tilson Thomas, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Hans Graf among others. These wonderful conductors helped me gain invaluable insight, detail and interpretive skill as a singer, which added to the understanding of ensemble and accuracy I learned working as a flutist and organist. This has given me a unique understanding of orchestral, operatic, choral and chamber music style and I work with each ensemble to bring out aspects of their performance that is their own unique sound. I work for the most positive experience while striving for excellence, excitement and rhythmic intensity. Clarity of gesture and strict adherence to the score are of paramount importance and each group before me has a different need or can relate to a different way of working or movement. The journey is quite unique for each group! Read on for my biographical synopsis or take a look at some of the different videos of my work which include orchestral, oratorio, choral and opera!
I am a product of every person that has been generous enough to share their talents and experience with me - every singer, instrumentalist, conductor, stage director, mentor in every discipline of the musical arts. I am particularly grateful to my flute mentors Murray Panitz, Julius Baker and to Peter Lloyd who helped me truly understand what music was about and to Claire Johnson my anchor and life mentor as a young flutist and budding musician. I am grateful to Mignon Dunn who helped me to begin my singing adventure and to longtime mentor and dear friend, Christa Ludwig who taught me further about stillness and bringing out the authentic artist within. I am so excited to begin this new chapter of my life and to seize the moment in this grand new adventure. I hope we can have an adventure together in person very soon!