BIO

      Katy’s musical journey began at ten years old, when she started piano lessons.  As her love for music grew, she began her teaching career at twelve by giving lessons to two friends.  She soon after began composing, and during high school joined a youth composition program called Young Composers Project, which is offered by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.  It soon became clear that Katy was destined for a career in music.  

       Upon graduating high school, she pursued a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with Dr. Fanya Lin at the University of Arizona, graduating with honors in 2023.  She is also set to graduate with her Master of Music in Piano Performance in 2025.

    As a pianist, Katy has performed in numerous events and competitions.  For three consecutive years, she was named alternate in the Fred Fox School of Music Presidents Concert Concerto Competition.  In 2021 and 2023 she won second and first place, respectively, in the school’s Michael Moore Memorial Piano Competition.  She also placed third and won the audience prize in the Trester Piano Competition in 2023.  Over the past several years, she has performed in master classes with Bernadette Harvey, Bernadene Blaha, and Luis Sanchez.  She also enjoys playing in school recitals, organizing and occasionally performing in her own studio recitals, playing in church, accompanying choir, and playing at weddings.

     Since the beginning of Katy’s teaching career at twelve, she has developed a passion for teaching students of all ages how to make and love music at the piano.  It continually excites her to see her students grasp concepts and techniques and become better musicians.  During college, her teaching experience expanded as she took first a tutoring position and then a graduate teaching assistantship in undergraduate music theory.  It is always her goal to make music understandable and achievable for her students with individualized instruction and a positive learning environment.

       Composition also remains one of Katy’s greatest musical interests.  Since graduating from the Young Composers Project, her main focus has been releasing albums of original instrumental music.  Her goal is to create emotionally compelling and uplifting music that tells stories and takes the listeners on an inspiring journey.  She also hopes to explore film scoring in the future.

      When she is not working on music, Katy enjoys reading books, watching movies, and spending time with family, friends, and her husband Stephen.