Gretchen Hill is a clarinetist and music educator originally from Flint, Michigan. She is the owner of Capitol Clarinets, LLC - a private clarinet studio operating in the Washington, D.C. area and centered in Silver Spring, MD. She holds a master’s degree in music performance from the University of Wisconsin - Madison where she held a Paul J. Collins Distinguished Graduate Fellowship and a bachelor’s degree in music education and performance from Bowling Green State University as a Hansen Fellowship recipient.

As an avid chamber musician, she has given performances across the United States and in Tainan, Taiwan with groups such as The Borderlines Trio (flute, clarinet, piano), The Djinn Trio (violin, clarinet, piano), Trio Modelo (clarinet, cello, piano), Duo Cognada (flute/clarinet), The Verismo Wind Duo (flute/clarinet), The Driftless Reed Quintet (as bass clarinetist), Moxie (clarinet/saxophone), and The Post Pierrot Players.

Her dedicated collaborative experiences have led to winning prizes at the Douglas Wayland Chamber Music Competition (first place 2018 and 2019), being a finalist for the MTNA National Chamber Music – Strings Competition (2019), placing as a finalist in the Coltman Chamber Music Competition (2019), and serving as part of a fellowship ensemble for the Cincinnati Young Artist Chamber Music Festival (2019). Recently, her duo, Moxie, took second place in the International Duo Symposium Young Artist Competition (2023). In 2022, she appeared as a fellow at the DECODA Chamber Music Festival and the Akropolis Chamber Music Institute.

Gretchen is a new music advocate and has experience commissioning works by composers such as Eric Mandat and Cory Brodack. Critical to Gretchen’s artistic expression is a commitment to community outreach, and she can often be found administrating and performing these types of events with her husband Taylor Francis, flutist, in their Verismo Wind Duo.

Additionally, Gretchen is an elementary general music teacher in the MCPS school district.

When not performing or teaching, Gretchen enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She loves hiking, reading, board games, yoga, trying all types of food, and traveling.

Her primary teachers include Alicia Lee, JJ Koh, Kevin Schempf, and Dr. Spencer Prewitt.