Artist Bio

A dynamic and engaging performer, Kate is known for her versatility playing classical, jazz, pop, and folk music as well as her own arrangements and compositions. As a soloist, she has been recognized both nationally and internationally for her playing and is in demand as a concert artist. Notable honors have included placing as a finalist twice in the American Harp Society Foundation Awards national competition; placing as a semi-finalist in the National Alliance for Excellence in Performing Arts competition; and being selected to perform for the Beverly Hills Consortium concert series, the Museum of Making Music's "Harps in the City" concert series, the American Harp Society's National Conference, the World Harp Congress, and the Camac International Harp Festival.

Kate has toured throughout Asia, Europe, and the U.S. as a soloist as well as with The Sprezzatura Duo and the touring ensemble HarpFusion. She has also recorded two albums with HarpFusion, 25th Anniversary Spectacular and Harps On Tour, the latter of which features her transcription of the Boieldieu Concerto in C for 14 harps and orchestra. Her first solo album, Dawn to Dusk, features two of her original arrangements as well as classical and jazz standards for solo harp. She can also be heard on the soundtracks for several television shows, most notably Fargo on the FX network.

As a member of The Sprezzatura Duo, Kate and fellow harpist Anastasia Pike have presented a variety of fun, creative, and entertaining concert programs that appeal to audiences of all ages. Some past performances have included concerts at Salvi Harps USA, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, and the Hermitage Museum. Kate and Anna are currently recording their debut album, which features several new commissioned works for two harps.

In addition to performing, Kate has taught folk harp and concert harp to students of all ages and levels at her private studios in Los Angeles and San Diego. Many of her advanced students have received scholarships and awards to continue their music studies in college, and have successfully auditioned for the Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic, Festival Youth Orchestra, Korean Youth Orchestra, San Diego Youth Symphony, and Civic Youth Symphony among other ensembles. Kate has also developed and taught several group classes for beginners, including a harp program for The Museum of Making Music that was featured on KUSI's "Good Morning San Diego" and in the San Diego Union Tribune.

Kate is a member of the American Harp Society, the World Harp Congress, and ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers). She has served as Vice-President for the Orange County and San Diego Chapters of the American Harp Society and as an adjudicator for the Auditions and Evaluations program sponsored by AHS. She holds a Master of Music in Harp Performance from the Peabody Conservatory (The Johns Hopkins University) with additional coursework in music history at the Thornton School of Music. Kate has also studied at l'Ecole Normale de Musique d'Alfred Cortot in Paris and is a Fellow of the Royal Schools of Music in London (FRSM), completing the ABRSM syllabus with distinction.