Contact
Departments
Professional Development
Courses Taught
PDV 208 - Building a Private Studio
Education
Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at SFCM
Master of Music in Piano Performance at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ensembles
San Francisco Contemporary Music Players
Awards
Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency
Neva Langley Fickley Distinguished Artist Fellowship at Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts
Avaloch Farm Residency
Q&A
What is your hometown?
Omaha, Nebraska
What is your favorite recording?
This varies! Currently, Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass (1995). I love any recording that resists stereotypes about contemporary music with a warm, beautiful, heartfelt performance.
What are you passionate about outside of music?
Hiking, Gardening, Reading, Family
Who were your major teachers?
Catherine Kautsky and Paul Hersh
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
To future teachers: The best way to get an advanced student is to make one.
What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?
How can I make a music career that is authentic to who I am?
What was a turning point in your career?
Before the pandemic, I performed a lot and taught a lot, but I didn't really feature my teaching side in my public identity. When things were locked down and a year's worth of concerts were cancelled, I quickly realized how rewarding and stable my teaching practice was. I continued to cultivate years-long relationships with beloved students & families, and had direct control over the details of my schedule and income. I put my energy into creating an ideal, beautiful, teacher-friendly studio space that now employs multiple teachers and serves over 100 students. I love my students, colleagues and the studio, and can't imagine my life without them!
What is your daily practice routine?
Since I mostly perform contemporary music, it usually consists of obsessing over a very small, complex passage of music.
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Caroline Shaw, Steve Reich, and Beethoven
What is your unrealized project?
An article/book/resource for composers about writing piano works for students.
What do you think makes a concert experience unique?
Venue, flow, and creative programming.
Media
Biography
Hailed as a "brilliant pianist" (Financial Times) and "powerful player" (Santa Cruz Sentinel), Kate Campbell performs frequently as a soloist and chamber musician specializing in contemporary music and interdisciplinary projects.
As the pianist for the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, she regularly works closely with and premieres works by the leading composers of our time.
Kate is the owner and director of Soundwise Piano Studio, a thriving, multi-teacher music school in Berkeley, which mentors new teachers and serves over 100 students.
Artist residencies include Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency for interdisciplinary projects, a distinguished fellowship at Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts, and Avaloch Farm. Her recorded work can be heard on New Amsterdam Records, Pinna Records, and New Focus Recordings.