Portland-based composer and soprano Carolyn Quick (she/her) is “a composer of great renown” (Dr. Justin Smith) and “one of the most important voices in our community” (Makrokosmos Project). She writes music that is “deeply meaningful,” making a “huge impact on both singers and audiences” (Smith) as she explores interwoven lines, conversational counterpoint, and unique timbral and textural possibilities - particularly those of the human voice. In her work, she strives to set texts that are raw and vulnerable, often gravitating toward lesser-known poetic voices. Recent commissions include Cincinnati Song Initiative, Fear No Music, Eugene Opera, and the Portland Phoenix Chamber Choir - who performed her work Catch at Hope at the NW ACDA Choral Directors Conference this year.
Throughout her work as a composer and vocalist, Carolyn advocates for historically excluded composers and their music and co-founded new music collective Persisting Sound and music distribution collective Raindrop New Music to uplift those voices. In her spare time, Carolyn enjoys walking the trails of the many Portland parks with her friends, admiring all of the cute dogs she spots on said walks, and spending time with her family.
COMPOSER-FOCUSED BIO (150 WORDS)
Portland-based composer and soprano Carolyn Quick (she/her) is “a composer of great renown” (Dr. Justin Smith) and “one of the most important voices in our community” (Makrokosmos Project). She writes music that is “deeply meaningful,” making a “huge impact on both singers and audiences” (Smith) as she explores interwoven lines, conversational counterpoint, and unique textures. In her work, she strives to set texts that are raw and vulnerable, often gravitating toward lesser-known poetic voices. Recent commissions include Cincinnati Song Initiative, Fear No Music, Eugene Opera, and Portland Phoenix Chamber Choir - who performed her work Catch at Hope at the 2024 NW ACDA Conference.
As both composer and vocalist, Carolyn advocates for historically excluded composers and co-founded new music collective Persisting Sound and music distribution collective Raindrop New Music to uplift those voices.
When she isn’t singing, Carolyn enjoys hiking, spotting cute dogs, and spending time with family and friends.
SINGER-FOCUSED BIO (150 WORDS)
With a voice known for its “pure timbre” (Opera News), Portland Composer-Soprano Carolyn Quick’s (she/her) performance credits include Eugene Opera’s production of Britten’s Turn of the Screw, Handel’s Messiah with Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia, Vivaldi’s Gloria, RV 589 with South Puget Sound Community College, and Charpentier’s Messe de minuit Pour Noel with Portland Symphonic Choir. Carolyn has sung with Queer Opera, Uzmah-Upbeat Summer Music Program, and Oregon Bach Festival’s Vocal Fellows Program. She is also an avid chorister, singing with Cappella Romana, Resonance Ensemble, and In Medio.
As a composer and singer, Carolyn has a love for contemporary music and has premiered over a dozen contemporary works. Most recently, Carolyn competed in the NATS Classical Student Auditions, advancing to the National Round with a program spanning Margaret Bonds to Charles Gounod.
When she isn’t singing, Carolyn enjoys hiking, spotting cute dogs, and spending time with family and friends.
SINGER-FOCUSED BIO (50 WORDS)
With a voice known for its “pure timbre” (Opera News), Portland Composer-Soprano Carolyn Quick’s (she/her) performance credits include Eugene Opera, Queer Opera, Uzmah-Upbeat Summer Music Program, and Oregon Bach Festival’s Vocal Fellows Program. She's also an avid chorister, singing with Cappella Romana, Resonance Ensemble, In Medio, and Portland Symphonic Choir.
Carolyn is also a published poet and has had several of her poems set to music. For anyone using her poetry for a project, please use this bio below.
WRITER-FOCUSED BIO (150 WORDS)
Composer-soprano-lyricist and multi-instrumentalist Carolyn Quick (she/her) has always loved poetry and has been writing for well over a decade. As she began to pursue a career in music, poetry served a vital role in the raw expression of her life experiences, free of stress and constraint.
She has set several of her poems to music in works such as: Pieces, Not I Alone, Stop the Clock (which blends her words with quotations from the 2018 Kavanaugh Hearings Transcripts), and To Breathe which was selected for the Eugene Opera's call for scores: Songs for Quarantine. At Art Song Lab, Carolyn participated in several poetry workshops offered by Elee Kraljii Gardiner. Her works have also been set to music by composer Drew Swatosh's (they/them) in Dead Fires Anthology. She is published in the East County Poetry Group's East County Poetry: Lent 2019 - Epiphany 2020. For more information, visit: www.carolynquick.com.