BIO
Shannon Gaffney is an NYC based full lyric soprano and actress. Originally from New Fairfield, CT, her first performances included the school talent show and singing the National Anthem at local baseball games. She pursued her BFA in Musical Theatre at Manhattanville College, where she was awarded the Brian Lethbridge Award for Outstanding Vocal Achievement, and won First Prize in the Arlene Kaplan Music Competition. Some of her favorite theatrical roles include Kate Monster in Avenue Q, Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Yellow Girl in SHOUT! The Mod Musical, and Kathy in Company.
Shannon is a classically trained vocalist, and has appeared as a soloist for many choral works. Notable performances include Elijah (Hear Ye, Israel!), Carmina Burana (Stetit Puella), Poulenc's Gloria (Domine Deus, Agnus Dei), and selections from Suor Angelica, as Suor Angelica. Most recently, she made her Gilbert and Sullivan debut as Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance with Utopia Opera, which ran both in NYC and in Skytop, PA. She also performed in the chorus of Amore Opera's Un Ballo in Maschera this past spring.
Shannon is a proud member of the Opera Collective , a group that seeks to make opera accessible to the general public. You may spot her singing an aria at Port Authority, Penn Station, or Columbus Circle, among other NYC spots.
As an educator, Shannon served as the Music Director for Theatre Arts Studio in Croton Falls, New York for two years, where she was integral in numerous youth theatre productions. She also served as Co-Music Director of Manhattanville Sound, a collegiate a capella group, and was the founding Vice President of Broadway at Manhattanville, a musical theatre group producing full length musicals and cabarets.
When Shannon is not performing or teaching, you can find her with a good book, as she also holds a BA in Creative Writing. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Robert O'Clair Prize for Poetry and the Sister Margaret Williams Prize for Literary Criticism. She has published poetry, literary criticism, and fiction in Graffiti Literary Magazine.
ABOUT ME
Hi there! My name is Shannon, and I am a New York City based singer, actor, writer, and dramaturg.
Currently, I am pursuing my self-designed Master of Arts in Musical Dramaturgy and Performance at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, as the recipient of the Tamara Mellon Fellowship.
I am a classically trained full lyric soprano. Most recently, I made my Gilbert and Sullivan debut as Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance with Utopia Opera, which ran in both New York City and Skytop, Pennsylvania. I am a proud member of the Opera Collective, a group that seeks to make opera, operetta, art song, and musical theatre accessible to the general public. You may spot me singing an aria or some golden age theatre favorites at Penn Station, Port Authority, Herald Square, or Columbus Circle!
I pursued my BFA in Musical Theatre and my BA in Creative Professional Writing at Manhattanville College. Some of my favorite theatrical roles include Kate Monster in Avenue Q, Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Yellow Girl in SHOUT! The Mod Musical, and Kathy in Company.
I formerly served as a Staff Writer for On Stage Blog. I also served as Proofreader/Typesetter for the second edition of Flop Musicals of the Twenty-First Century: How They Happened, When They Happened (and What We've Learned) by Stephen Purdy.
As an educator, I served as the Music Director of Theatre Arts Studio (now known as Musical Theatre KIDS!) in Croton Falls, New York, where I had the privilege to work on numerous youth theatre productions. I am passionate about helping young people find their voice, and I vehemently believe in the importance of arts education.
When I’m not singing, acting, writing, or telling someone why Annie is underrated, I love reading, drinking fancy iced coffees, watching The Twilight Zone, and working on cosplay for New York Comic Con.
The Gallatin Graduate Mainstage presents
Hopelessly Devoted to You
As the founding Artistic Director of the Gallatin Graduate Mainstage, I served as Dramaturg and performed in Hopelessly Devoted to You: Songs of Passion and Pining.
Photo by Nora Albinus
The Gallatin Arts Festival presents
The Art of the Art Song
I performed "The Art of the Art Song" at the Gallatin Arts Festival. The set included ”Le Colibri” (1880), with poem by Charles Marie René Leconte de Lisle and music by Amédée-Ernest Chausson; “Befreit” (1898), with poem by Richard Dehmel and music by Richard Strauss; and “Heart We Will Forget Him” (1950), with poem by Emily Dickinson and music by Aaron Copland. Click here for my Artist Statement and performance footage.
