Biography

At home in repertoire from early music to new commissions, coloratura soprano Kathryn Mueller is praised for her “crystalline soaring soprano.” She has sung with ensembles including the Cincinnati Symphony (Mozart’s Mass in C Minor), ROCO (Knoxville: Summer of 1915), Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (Reena Esmail’s The History of Red), Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9), Tucson and Phoenix Symphonies (Messiah), and Spartanburg Philharmonic (Glière’s Concerto for Coloratura Soprano), as well as with ensembles including the Baltimore, Charlotte, and Memphis Symphonies; American Bach Soloists; Portland Baroque Orchestra; and Santa Fe Pro Musica.

An advocate for new music, Kathryn co-commissioned Reena Esmail’s The History of Red along with Santa Fe Pro Musica, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, the Orlando Philharmonic, and The Knights. The History of Red premiered in 2021 and was hailed for its “evocative sonorities, sensitivity to the changing moods of the poem, and skillfully crafted, natural-sounding text rhythms.”

Kathryn turned to her musical roots in the Baroque period for her debut solo album, Love & Loss: Songs of Purcell, Bach, and Handel. Released in 2020, it was praised by Early Music America for Kathryn’s “sheer beauty,” “deliberate restraint,” and “concern for the text.” She has also been featured as a soloist on recordings by New Trinity Baroque, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Tucson Chamber Artists, and Seraphic Fire. Awards include an Adams Fellowship at the Carmel Bach Festival, finalist in the Oratorio Society of New York’s Solo Competition, and finalist (with her soprano duo Les Sirènes) in Early Music America’s Baroque Performance Competition.

Kathryn began her musical studies at 7,000' elevation in the White Mountains of Arizona. She continued her vocal studies as an undergraduate at Brown University and then earned a master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Arizona. She is based in Raleigh, N.C., where she lives with her choral conductor husband and two lively young children. She belongs to Beyond Artists, a coalition of musicians who donate a percentage of their concert fees to organizations they care about. She supports the Poor People’s Campaign through her performances.