With passions for songwriting, sound design, opera, film, and production, Gracyn Blu Louis is a multi-faceted artist that doesn't fit into one box. A gender-and-genre-non-conforming, creative powerhouse, Gracyn is a restless trailblazer in the performance world.
early life
Gracyn got their start in classical music, studying piano and violin. They taught themself guitar and ukulele, and started writing their own music as a teenager while acting in local theatre productions. They completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University in Opera Performance, with minors in Music Technology, Drama, and Music Education. They also earned a K-12 Music Education Teaching Certificate.
I can already see Gracyn Blu Louis being a well-known artist all over the world, the talent is clearly there for all to see - just follow their journey as it could be astronomical.
IT'S ALL INDIE
Gracyn began creating the moment they touched a piano at 5 years old. Since then, they’ve been on a journey to satisfy their perpetual need to make art.
A genre-and-gender bender, Gracyn doesn’t fit in one box. While continuing their piano studies for over a decade, they taught themself a myriad of other instruments, from violin to electric guitar. They study a variety of musical genres, even becoming an award-winning opera singer at 21 years old.
While Gracyn has been writing their own music since childhood, it wasn’t until earning a bachelor’s degree in classical performance that they realized their need to seriously pursue it: “Production and songwriting fulfill creative needs unlike any forms of music performance I’ve done. I’m finally not recreating and interpreting someone else’s work. Production and songwriting is completely mine from the moment of a song’s inception to the moment of its completion.”
Gracyn’s history of mental health struggles informs much of their songwriting. Their music is described as having “introspective nuances” (Rádio Armazém) and a “cinematic feel” (It’s All Indie). A sole writer, producer, and engineer, Gracyn is meticulous in their manipulation of sound in every step of the process.
In addition to their passion for audio production, they are passionate about the visual elements of music. Created in collaboration with Olav Carter, their music video for “it’s cold outside (i love you)” is featured on Vevo’s “Incoming Indie” list.
original music
As a budding filmmaker, Gracyn has become an animator for their music, creating it's cold outside (i love you) (Official Lyric Visualizer) (2024) and Gracyn Blu Louis - october (official lyric video) (2024), the latter of which received a placement on one of Vevo's featured playlists. In front of the camera, Gracyn has appeared in Pittsburgh-based short films, including Ava (2024), Fairyland, and In the Flesh.
In late 2024, upon moving to Los Angeles, Gracyn started studying on camera acting at John Rosenfeld Studios in West Hollywood. Previously represented by Docherty Agency in Pittsburgh, Gracyn is now seeking representation as in Los Angeles as they pursue new opportunities in music, film, and acting.
film
In the realm of opera, Gracyn has performed in a wide variety of productions, from leading the academic premiere of a techno-noir opera by Kamala Sankaram at Carnegie Mellon University, to the classic Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus at the College Light Opera Company. They have performed as a vocalist in various professional choirs, such as the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, and opera companies, such as Pittsburgh Festival Opera and the College Light Opera Company. They love roles that are ambiguous in physicality and gender. Some other highlights of their operatic experience include two consecutive Encouragement Awards granted by the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and the production of a chamber recital with all marginalized composers/librettists. They are particularly passionate about shining light on “lost” composers and premiering new works, though they also enjoy putting their own twist on a classic production.
Gracyn is a highly gifted sight reader and loves challenging choral work. Gracyn started singing in choirs as a teenager and quickly found themself gigging around churches. While an undergraduate voice student, Gracyn took on their first professional alto section leader position in the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh. Gracyn has continued their work as a "powerhouse sight reader" in many churches and choirs from the east coast to the west coast.
In theatre, Gracyn has performed in a wide variety of productions, from Shakespeare to Cole Porter. They have studied Chekhov, Stanislavsky, and Meisner methods, and typically find their own characters at the intersection of these philosophies. Gracyn took a few years of dance classes and really honed their ability to pick up choreography while performing with the College Light Opera Company. Gracyn's most recent skill acquisition is stage combat.
Now based in Los Angeles, Gracyn is looking forward to diving into the world of opera in Southern California.
opera / choral work
© Gracyn Blu Louis 2024. All rights reserved.