Dr. Kathryn Ladano has established herself as one of Canada’s foremost bass clarinetists. As a specialist of contemporary music and free improvisation, Ladano is a dynamic soloist and in-demand collaborator. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Canada and abroad and has immersed herself in a wide variety of creative and collaborative projects. Kathryn holds a PhD from York University, a masters degree in bass clarinet performance from the University of Calgary and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Waterloo. Her performance instructors have included Stan Climie, Tilly Kooyman and world-renowned bass clarinetist and improviser, Lori Freedman.
Kathryn is heavily involved in both educational and creative work. She served as the Artistic Director for NUMUS concerts for 10 years and she also worked as a contract faculty member in the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University for 14 years where she directed ICE (Improvisation Concerts Ensemble), and taught a variety of courses in Improvisation, Performance, Musical Skills, Community Music, and Music History. Kathryn is also the bass clarinet instructor at the University of Waterloo. As an enthusiast of improvisation in the classroom and bass clarinet repertoire, she has guest lectured in university classes, conducted workshops across Canada for both teachers and students, and has been a guest speaker and performer at a variety of international conferences.
Currently, Kathryn performs as a soloist and in a number of ensembles that specialize in new music and free improvisation such as Stealth; her duo with famed TorQ percussionist, Richard Burrows. The duo released their debut CD, “…listen”, in the summer of 2015.
Kathryn was the 2015 winner of the Cook Homes Music Award at the Waterloo Region Arts Awards. Kathryn has released two solo albums, “Open” (2010) and “Masked” (2019). Kathryn’s research interests include improvisation pedagogy and the use of free improvisation as therapy for musicians with various anxieties.
