Gretchen Renshaw

Since beginning her musical training on the violin at age 5, Gretchen Renshaw has found her way to the euphonium and tuba. She completed a Bachelor of Music degree at the Pennsylvania State University where she studied with tuba virtuoso Velvet Brown and is currently studying with Dr. Benjamin Pierce while pursuing a Master of Music degree at the University of Arkansas.

In addition to her studies in the United States, Gretchen has taken her euphonium playing overseas. In the fall of 2007, she spent a semester abroad at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. While there, she studied with the international euphonium soloist Steven Mead and also joined the Besses o’ th’ Barn Brass Band as the Solo Euphonium. In the summer of 2009, Gretchen traveled to Austria to perform with the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project at the Mid Europe International Wind Orchestra Festival.

Throughout her young career, Gretchen has enjoyed success in major competitions. In 2010, she won the International Women’s Brass Conference Euphonium Competition and was named the Low Brass Winner of the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition. In the previous year, she was the National First Place Winner of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Brass Competition. Most recently, she won the University of Arkansas Concerto/Aria Competition and got to perform Martin Ellerby’s Euphonium Concerto with the University of Arkansas Symphony Orchestra on its February 2011 concert.

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