KATHY
Jazz Artist Faculty
As a professional pianist and vocalist KATHY SHOEMAKER has performed all over the US and in Europe, from solo piano work, to jazz clubs to the pit orchestra for "Cats" and recording for radio and TV in Boston and LA. She has toured South America and was the keyboardist on 3 albums with Venezuelan artists Frank Quintero and Pablo Manevello.
In 2014 she received a 1st place award in the MTAC State Composition Contest for her piece "Little Oscar Prelude" (dedicated to Oscar Peterson) and 2nd place for a solo piano piece, "Paint the Stars", an advanced work.
She has had the honor of accompanying San Diego jazz legend Charles McPherson, and other local stellar musicians such as Leonard Patton, Gary Rich and David Borgo. Highlighting some special moments from this year, there was the honor of being featured as one of the local pianists in Holly Hoffman’s “Pianorama” at Tio Leos in January. Additionally, there was the memorable experience of participating in the Jazz Piano Mini Festival at the Conrad, alongside the Jazz Piano All-Stars.
Kat has served as pianist for the Legacy Big Band, Downbeat, and Marty Conley Big Band, accompanist for Off Broadway Live, Voices of Our City Choir, and loves being a part of the numerous jazz jam sessions/events and clubs in the thriving San Diego jazz scene.
Since March 2023 Kat has been leading a monthly (2nd Sunday of each month) concert/jam session at Leonard Patton’s Jazz Lounge, which features the compositions of jazz icons. The event’s kickoff date drew all it’s material from the recently published “New Standards, 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers”, a work curated by Terri Lynn Carrington.
Educational background:
B.M. in Jazz Composition and Arranging - Berklee College of Music (cum laude)
Recipient of Berklee Faculty Association Award and Hank Jones Jazz Masters Award.
Additional studies at Julliard School of Music in Contemporay music. Piano studies with Ann Karnofsky (Russian technique), Krystof Brzuza, Florence Stephenson and Vocal studies with Jim Carson.