Published: Sept. 1, 2023

Asbury First is delighted to welcome Gwen Paker as our new soprano soloist/section leader. Gwen is an award-winning singer, equally at home on the operatic stage and in the concert hall. Gwen holds Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Voice Performance from the Eastman School of Music, as well as a Certificate in Arts Leadership. She won first prize in the 2022 Friends of Eastman Opera Competition, and won the voice department Concerto Competition in 2019. She made her professional debut starring as Gertrude Stein in Virgil Thompson's The Mother of Us All with the RPO, and starred in several Eastman Opera Theatre productions. Her passion for music extends beyond performance; she is a member of the voice faculty at the Hochstein School, and works as an arts administrator with Finger Lakes Opera. Gwen's first Sunday with us will be September 10. We are grateful to Bess Phillips, who returned to Asbury First during the summer to serve as interim soloist.