Biographies
Mary Gatchell
NYC’s Mary Gatchell is a multi-faceted composer, singer, songwriter, oboist, pianist, conductor, music director, and educator. Raised in Epping, New Hampshire in the United States, Mary went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Theory and Composition and a Master’s degree in Jazz Piano both at NYU. Growing up on stage singing, acting, and dancing in Broadway productions at Leddy Center for the Performing Arts, founded by her mother, Elaine Gatchell, and playing in the concert and jazz bands on oboe and piano, directed by her father, J. Bruce Gatchell, Mary gained invaluable training throughout her formative years.
After graduating from NYU in 1999, Mary went on to perform in NYC venues such as: Blue Note, Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Birdland, Knitting Factory, Bitter End, Cutting Room, Rockwood Music Hall, Groove, and CBGB’s. On Broadway she has performed in the Lamb’s Theatre, Minskoff Theatre, Lena Horne Theatre (formerly Brooks Atkinson Theatre), and Barrymore Theatre. She has brought her original music to concert halls, opera houses, jazz clubs, and festivals in Italy and The Arts Center beautiful Blue Hall in Abu Dhabi. She sang with legendary rock band, The Rolling Stones in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and Newark’s Prudential Center, for their 50th Anniversary tour with NYC’s premiere a cappella choir, Ghostlight Chorus.
In 2018, Mary was the pianist for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar starring John Legend, Sara Bareilles, and Alice Cooper, which aired on television live on Easter Sunday on NBC. Starting in 2018, she became a conductor and pianist on stage on Broadway for Sara Bareilles’ show, Waitress. Mary was conductor and pianist for the Broadway hit, Six The Musical since it’s arrival to NYC in early 2020. In March of 2024, Mary had two world premieres of her compositions in New York City. The first, entitled Giza Suite, is composed for woodwind quintet inspired by her recent trip to Egypt. The second, Symphony No. 1, Gram’s 12 Tone Rows,mvt. 1, utilized two 12 tone rows her grandmother, Dorothy Bassett, had composed in 1959, expanding and arranging them for orchestra with her father, J. Bruce Gatchell. Movement two was premiered in October of 2024. Movement three will premiere on April 4th, 2025 in NYC. In the summer of 2023, her classical composition, Paradiso Canto 33, was premiered in Siena, Italy, setting Dante’s beautiful text to music for an a cappella choir, performed by Ghostlight Chorus.
Mary is the principal oboist with the Leon Lacey Orchestra (Beyonce/Janet Jackson) since 2008, performing in various churches and concert halls, including Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theatre accompanying gospel greats, Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell, Hezikiah Walker, Ty Tribbett, Donald Lawrence, and more. Last December, Mary was the principal oboist with the New York Chamber Players performing works from Beethoven to Saint-Saens at Carnegie Hall. Mary is also a session singer and sings with various bands in NYC including New Orleans southern funk band, Strangeland, playing the music of Leon Russell, the Meters, and Dr. John that plays regularly in Greenwich village at the iconic club, Bitter End, 1960’s home to Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan and many artists since. A passionate teacher, Mary was a faculty member at Nyack College in NYC from 2015-2022, teaching ear training, music theory, acting, and conducting. She was also the co-director of the Chorale and the music director, co-director, and choreographer of the musical productions for West Side Story, In the Heights, The Wiz, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Dreamgirls.
In connection with the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, Mary has journeyed to Ethiopia twice implementing a sustainable music curriculum for HIV-infected and impoverished children, and to Bulgaria to teach music to orphans with special needs. Mary is the co-founder and artistic director of the Italian chamber music festival, Siena Summer Music, held in Siena, Italy from 2008-2016. Here, composers, instrumentalists, and singers came from around the world to hone their skills and perform in cathedrals, concert halls, and unique Tuscan outdoor settings. Mary is currently a Visiting Lecturer of Music at NYU Abu Dhabi.
As a bandleader and prolific songwriter, Mary has released 7 albums of her original music including a children’s album, 3 albums of hymns and spirituals, a Christmas album, and a jazz album of standards. Mary released her 14th album, Destiny, exclusively on vinyl, in December 2024 produced by ATN Stadwijk. In this album, she composed music to a collection of love poems by Rabia of Basra, Rumi, Hafiz, St. Catherine of Siena, and Farouk Henry of NYC.
