"Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart" -Pablo Casals
Katie currently resides in Tucker, GA, working as a performer and teacher in the greater Atlanta area. She has a passion for teaching secure fundamentals in cello technique to students of all ages, striving to instill the joy that comes with the ability to play well. As a pursuant of cello pedagogy, she has sought teacher training across multiple philosophies. She is a certified Suzuki cello teacher and member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She is also an active member of the American String Teachers Association.
Katie has performed in orchestral settings throughout the United States and abroad. Her traveling performance career has included three tours of China performing film music and a tour of the eastern United States with Academy Award-winning actress Shirley Jones. As a member of the Atlanta Pops Orchestra she has worked with Chloe Agnew of Celtic Woman, John Driskell Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band, and Balsam Range, to name a few. Katie is the principal cellist of the Albany Symphony, and core member of the Savannah Philharmonic and Lagrange Symphony. She also performs with the Columbus Symphony, Hilton Head Symphony, Rome Symphony, Valdosta Symphony, and more.
Katie graduated from the University of Louisville School of Music in 2009, where she studied with Paul York. Additional teachers include Debbie Caruso, Natasha Farney, Melissa Kraut and Carey Chaney. Passionate about both chamber music and pop-style performance, Katie performs frequently in settings such as weddings, parties and gallery events.
Katie believes that learning to use the cello as an extension of the self is a continuous and joyous process. This personal harmony is an element Katie strives to instill in her students and her audiences.