athryn Tate, mezzo-soprano, is a brilliant singer and captivating performer, who has been acclaimed for her luscious voice, expressive musicianship and powerful stage presence. Her operatic credits include the title character of the Mother in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Public Opinion in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Mercedes in Bizet’s Carmen, Annio in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, and Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Additional performance highlights include: a one-woman cabaret for the opening of the Rodin Exhibition (Knoxville Museum of Art), the Mother with Bronx Opera’s The Consul, vocal artist at Indianapolis’ renowned American Cabaret Theatre, and guest soloist with SUNY/ Orange Orchestra receiving acknowledgement for her “rich intonations and sonorous treble”—returning this past November to sing Copland’s Old American Songs at the Historic Paramount Theatre. She has also appeared numerous times as the alto soloist in the Messiah at the West Point Cadet Chapel, conducted by Craig Williams. This year is the 55th anniversary of its performances, and Ms. Tate has been invited back as the alto soloist to help celebrate this event by singing the full score of Handel’s most beloved oratorio, Messiah.

She has been following the tutelage of Joshua Greene (Assistant Conductor with the Metropolitan Opera Company), Dr. Robert McIver (Eastman School of Music), Ron DeFesi (Maestro of Hudson Opera Theatre), and Aaron Hagan (Vocal Technician).

This year Ms. Tate’s schedule has been full and exhilarating. She was thrilled to be involved with an interdisciplinary performance involving voice and dance. She sang Reynaldo Hahn’s “L’Heure Exquise” while the graduating seniors of Orange County School of Dance danced. She also recorded a CD for the ClarinetFest in Assisi, Italy and served as the guest soloist with the Greater New York Wind Ensemble for the preparation of Johan De Meij’s Symphony No. 4 world premiere at the Mahler Festival in Sudtirol, Italy.

Recipient of John C. Hodges’ full academic scholarship her senior year of college, she graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a degree in English literature. She soon became a vocal candidate in their opera program honored by the Grace Moore scholarship for vocal excellence. Grace Moore was an American operatic soprano and Academy Award-nominated actress in musical theatre and film, nicknamed the “Tennessee Nightingale.” She helped to popularize opera by bringing it to a larger audience, a heartfelt mission shared by Ms. Tate. She is also an awards recipient from the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria.

While performing and studying here and abroad, Ms. Tate has always had an underlining curiosity of the possibility of merging these two disciplines. Today she is very excited to announce that after many long hours navigating through many manuscripts at the New York City’s famed Library of Performing Arts in research of poems by some of our greatest American poets set to music by some of our greatest American composers. She plans to share with you this vision of song, called “The Great American Poet Sings”.