New Zealander Gracie Francis is a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow at The Juilliard School, studying with the support of the Kia Ora Foundation Patricia Pratt Scholarship and the Kiwi Music Scholarship. Gracie also completed her Master’s degree at Juilliard as a Fulbright Scholar and Kovner Fellow. She has served the Juilliard community as a Gluck Community Service Fellow and Student Congress representative, and now acts in the role of Diversity Advocate and as studio pianist for Juilliard String Quartet first violinist Areta Zhulla.
Since arriving in the US Gracie has won Juilliard’s Vocal Arts Honors Recital three times, with soprano Jessica Niles and mezzo-sopranos Emily Sierra and Xenia Puskarz Thomas. She performs regularly with bass-baritone William Socolof, including his prize-winning performances in the Naumburg Competition and Young Concert Artists auditions, and subsequent recital tour including a debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She also partnered soprano Yvette Keong and countertenor Daniel Moody for Carnegie Hall’s SongStudio with Renée Fleming. In 2022 Gracie was a staff pianist for Spoleto Festival in Charleston and at Berlin Opera Academy.
Before arriving in the US, Gracie worked as répétiteur for New Zealand Opera, university opera productions, National Aria contest, and as Assistant Director of GALS (Gay and Lesbian Singers). For nine years she was a mentor and educator with youth organizations including Opera Factory and the Auckland Youth Choir, touring to Carnegie Hall in 2016 and the Australian International Music Festival in 2019. Gracie received her Bachelor of Music (First Class Honors) in 2014 under Rae de Lisle at the University of Auckland, making professional concerto debuts as both pianist and harpsichordist during her studies. She has also performed in Canada and across Europe.