Gretchen Claassen, 'cello and viola da gamba
Gretchen Claassen, a versatile chamber musician, often appears as ‘cellist, baroque ‘cellist and viol player in diverse groups around the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. She has recently performed with American Bach Soloists, Archetti, Wildcat Viols, Karl Cronin and the Americana Orchestra, and is a founding member of the Cello Street Quartet and period ensembles MUSA and the Alchemy Trio. During the 2013-14 season she will be appearing for the first time with Portland Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco Bach Choir, Nash Baroque Ensemble and Musica Pacifica, in addition to embarking on a US State Department-sponsored international tour with the Cello Street Quartet.
Gretchen has been named the winner of American Bach Soloists’ Jeffrey Thomas Award, and will perform as a featured soloist with that ensemble in May of 2015.
Gretchen's love of chamber music began early on with three summers spent at the prestigious Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School and Festival in Maine, and string quartet studies with Joel Smirnoff of the Juilliard String Quartet. As a participant in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s acclaimed Chamber Music Masters series, Gretchen has collaborated with Menahem Pressler, Robert Mann, Bonnie Hampton, Roberto Diaz, and Joseph Swensen. In May of 2011, she was invited to perform alongside SFCM and Shanghai Conservatory faculty in China, as part of the Shanghai International Chamber Music Festival. While pursuing graduate studies, she was first introduced to historically informed performance practice and soon began performing widely on both baroque ‘cello and viola da gamba, participating in the American Bach Soloists Summer Academy and as an apprentice with Benvenue House Concerts, as well as performing as a soloist with SFCM's Baroque Ensemble.
Gretchen was a student of Bonnie Hampton at The Juilliard School, where she received a BM in ‘Cello Performance. In 2012, she was awarded an Artist’s Certificate in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she studied with Jennifer Culp and Elisabeth Reed.
Gretchen has been named the winner of American Bach Soloists’ Jeffrey Thomas Award, and will perform as a featured soloist with that ensemble in May of 2015.
Gretchen's love of chamber music began early on with three summers spent at the prestigious Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School and Festival in Maine, and string quartet studies with Joel Smirnoff of the Juilliard String Quartet. As a participant in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s acclaimed Chamber Music Masters series, Gretchen has collaborated with Menahem Pressler, Robert Mann, Bonnie Hampton, Roberto Diaz, and Joseph Swensen. In May of 2011, she was invited to perform alongside SFCM and Shanghai Conservatory faculty in China, as part of the Shanghai International Chamber Music Festival. While pursuing graduate studies, she was first introduced to historically informed performance practice and soon began performing widely on both baroque ‘cello and viola da gamba, participating in the American Bach Soloists Summer Academy and as an apprentice with Benvenue House Concerts, as well as performing as a soloist with SFCM's Baroque Ensemble.
Gretchen was a student of Bonnie Hampton at The Juilliard School, where she received a BM in ‘Cello Performance. In 2012, she was awarded an Artist’s Certificate in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she studied with Jennifer Culp and Elisabeth Reed.