Katherine Growdon

Known for her compelling timbre, presence and expressivity in an eclectic range of musical styles, mezzo-soprano Katherine Growdon has gained recognition for delivering performances of “incisive authority” (New York Times) and “heart-rending emotion” (San Francisco Classical Voice). Her voice has been described as ranging from “sweet and creamy-toned” (Boston Classical Voice) to “rich, rippling” and “full of dusky colors and pathos” (Boston Globe). Recent performance highlights include Jenny Diver in Britten’s The Beggar’s Opera with Emmanuel Music, St Catherine in Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher with Odyssey Opera, Ezra Sim’s rendering of Gertrude Stein’s If I Told Him at the Pittsburgh Microtonal Festival, and touring with Gare St Lazare Ireland for the Irish premiere of Here All Night. Notable operatic/musical theater credits include Myrtle Wilson in the Boston première of Harbison’s The Great Gatsby, Dido and the Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with the Mark Morris Dance Group and Charlotte Malcolm in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music with the Boston Pops.

In concert repertory Katherine has performed as a soloist with the Handel and Haydn Society, Mark Morris Dance Group, Boston Baroque, Bach Collegium San Diego, Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Albany Symphony, Northwest Bach Festival, Winsor Music, American Bach Soloists and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. She has been a member of the Handel and Haydn Society Chorus since 2013. She previously joined Lorelei Ensemble for several performances in its 2018-2019 season, including with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and A Far Cry. Katherine is featured on the Boston Modern Orchestra Project recording of Kati Agócs’ Vessel and on the forthcoming recording of Julia Werntz’s Kaspoleo Melea via New Focus Recordings. A native of California, Katherine holds a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory and a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Oberlin College. She is the recipient of fellowships to the Tanglewood Music Center, the Carmel Bach Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival.  She teaches voice at Phillips Academy Andover in Andover, MA.