Opera News has described Kathryn Cowdrick as "an artist who brightly infused every scene with her singing, dazzling fioratura, and her sexy, warm, comedienne personality," a remark which seems to convey the essence of this charismatic mezzo-soprano.
A native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Kathryn Cowdrick is a graduate of Penn State and Columbia University with degrees in Speech and Voice Pathology. She went on to work in private practice in New York City before attending the Juilliard School’s Professional Studies program and performing with the Juilliard Opera Center.
She began her career when awarded an Adler Fellowship with the San Francisco Opera and went on to appear in many roles with the company, including Meg Page in Falstaff, Paulina in Pique Dame, Siebel in Faust, and in their productions of Die Walküre, Die Zauberflöte, Il Ritorno di Ulysse, La Traviata, Adriana Lecouver, Romeo et Juliette, Manon, Der Rosenkavalier, Il Turco in Italia, and The Medium. She was well known for her elegant portrayals of Rossini heroines, and made her European debut at the Netherlands Opera as Rosina in Dario Fo’s controversial production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia. She went on to sing Rosina and the title roles in both L’Italiana Algeri and La Cenerentola for companies including Scottish Opera, San Francisco Opera’s tour, the Merola program, Vancouver Opera, Cologne Opera, L’Opera de Marseilles, Chautauqua, Kentucky Opera, Utah Opera, Koln, San Francisco Opera, and the National Arts Center in Ottawa, Opera Memphis, and New York City Opera.
Cowdrick can be heard as Charmian on the New World Record’s 1984 Grammy Award winning recording of Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra, recorded live at the Spoleto Festival where she also appeared in Ken Russell’s televised production of Madama Butterfly. She performed Karolka in Jenufa with the Opera Orchestra of New York starring Leonie Rysanek, which was recorded live from Carnegie Hall on Grammaphone Bis. She is featured on the Eastman Opera Theatre recording of Bon Appetit/This is the Rill as Julia Child. This operatic monologue by Lee Hoiby and Julia Child was released by Albany Records. She also performed the piece for Julia Child’s induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2007.
Her international and regional opera appearances have included Meg Page (Merry Wives of Windsor) for Washington Opera, Niklausse (Les Contes d’Hoffman) and Smeton (Anna Bolena) for Virginia Opera and Lyon, Balkis (Return to Mecca) for Wexford Festival Ireland, Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd) for the Princeton Festival and Augusta Opera, the Marquise (The Daughter of the Regiment) for Kentucky Opera, Arizona Opera and Lake George Opera, the Old Woman (Candide) for Lake George Opera, Madame Larina and Filipevna (Eugene Onegin) for Tulsa Opera, Arizona Opera and Kentucky Opera, Augusta Tabor (The Ballad of Baby Doe) for Augusta Opera, Elizabeth Proctor ((The Crucible) for Tulsa Opera, Aunt March (Little Women) for Fort Worth Opera, Dorabella (Così fan tutte) for the Wildwood Festival and Los Angeles Opera, Countess (A Little Night Music) for Wildwood Festival, Meg Page (Falstaff) with Opera Illinois, and Varvara(Katya Kabanova) for Los Angeles Opera and the Foreign Singer (Postcard from Morocco) for Opera Festival of NJ.
In addition to her teaching duties, she is in demand as one of today’s foremost singing actresses. Appearances since 2002 include the title role in The Medium with students in the Eastman Opera Theatre and in productions of The Mikado for New York City Opera, Dialogue of the Carmelites for Arizona Opera, Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro for Opera Omaha, Arizona Opera and Utah Opera, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel for Augusta Opera, Berta for New York City Opera, Tulsa Opera and Florentine Opera’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance for Lake George and Fort Worth Operas, the Marquise in Le Fille du Regiment for Kentucky Opera, Arizona Opera, and Lake George Opera, Il Matrimonio Segreto, Gianni Schicchi/Buoso’s Ghost for Lake George Opera, Madama Butterfly for Artpark and Mercury Opera Rochester, Zita in Gianni Schicchi/Buoso’s Ghost and Mrs. Gibbs in the professional premiere of Our Town by Ned Rorem at Lake George Saratoga. The 2009-2011 seasons find her singing the title role in Orfeo for Memphis Opera, Katisha for Opera New Jersey’s Mikado, Ruth in Pirates of Penzance for Chautauqua Opera and Mercury Opera Rochester, the Old Woman in Candide for Mercury Opera.
Vocal Health and Pedagogy Seminars
Kathryn Cowdrick is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and Columbia University with degrees in speech and voice pathology. She went on to complete her vocal studies at the American Opera Center at Juilliard and was an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera. Before turning to singing full time, she worked in private practice in New York City. She continues to relish her role as a performer-teacher and is an Associate Professor of Voice at the Eastman School of Music. She teaches studio voice and graduate vocal pedagogy. She resides in Rochester, NY with her husband, tenor Robert Swensen – also an Eastman faculty member – and their son Matthew.
She has been a contributor and adjudicator for the National Association of Teachers of Singing and Classical Singer Magazine. With her extensive knowledge of pedagogy and continued interest in vocal health and wellness, Miss Cowdrick serves as a consultant and therapist for singers undergoing vocal recovery. She also frequently gives master classes to universities and apprentice artist programs on Vocal Health for Singers, Performance Pedagogy and Vocal Health Issues for Music Educators. She has co-taught the Eastman Sings pedagogy week seminar for voice teachers with Dr. Robert McIver. She has also participated in the University of Rochester’s Interdisciplinary Teaching Initiative master class program with Dr. Susan Conkling.