How She Got Started
Kathryn Ladano was born December 28, 1976, in Kitchener, Ontario. It was in grade nine, at the age of 14 that she began playing the bass clarinet, due to lack of saxophones at her high school. Now, most people that play the bass clarinet start off by playing the Soprano Clarinet; that was not the case for Kathryn. She actually learned how to play a soprano clarinet in her later high school years. After high school not having to move far from home, she studied music at the University of Waterloo. Before long she moved to Alberta, Canada; where at the University of Calgary she continued to study music. IN 2004 she received a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, which allowed her to study with the world renown bass clarinet player, Lori Freedman.
Where She is Today
Kathryn is currently the co-Director of the Improvisation Concerts Ensemble at the Wilfrid Laurier University; and is the bass clarinet instructor at the University of Waterloo. She has also been a guest lecturer at several universities, and has held numerous workshops across Canada for both teachers and students. In 2011, she completed a fall course at the prestigious Banff Centre for the Arts; and is currently working on a PhD at York University. Kathryn performs as a soloist, and in numerous ensembles that specialize in "new music and improvisation."
More Information
Just a few extra points not mentioned above:
- Kathryn has had several pieces composed for her by some of Canada's "most distinguished composers"
- In 2004 she founded the first bass clarinet duo in Canada, Bass Impact
- They had the honour of performing at the 2005 World Bass Clarinet Convention in Rotterdam, Netherlands
- In 2008 she was a Kitchener- Waterloo Arts Award nominee in the music section
- Again in 2010 she was a "Kitchener- Waterloo Oktoberfest Woman of the Year, in the 'Arts and Culture' section"
- Also in 2010 through a grant with the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, she was able to debut her first CD "Open"
Above is a video of Kathryn when she was working on recording for her album "Open."