Kate Romano

I’ve been making things happen with considerable energy for the past 5 years. I founded the Goldfield Ensemble in 2011 and have produced over 50 concerts, collaborative events and education projects for this varied and diverse collective.  We’ve played at St Johns Smith Square, Kings College Chapel, HCMF, Kings Place and many UK festivals. We held the first Artistic Residency at the Stapleford Granary. We’ve commissioned new works (Arlene Sierra, Kathy Hinde, Robin Holloway) and we’ve partnered with the Wellcome Trust and sculptor Simeon Nelson to create an audio-visual event called Anarchy in the Organism.  This year we performed at the Cheltenham Music Festival with a programme called RITUAL IN TRANSFIGURED TIME that explores old and new technology, sound and film, conventional and self-made instruments.

Most of my productions are collaborations – with other artists, with venues – and it is perhaps inevitable that opera has a particular appeal. Between 2012-2016 I produced an opera for chamber music ensemble Okeanos. Tokaido Road (composed by Nicola LeFanu) is a touring chamber opera that combines two cultures – Western and Japanese – and 5 art forms in a 60 minute time frame. It grew from a belief that we could make opera that would fit any space, any place, was accessible and friendly. Our London premiere took place at Milton Court theatre. Our largest venue was the 2-acre Great Court of the British Museum. Our smallest was a remote 13^th century church in the Cheviot Hills. With a combined opera and outreach audience of around 9000, this critically acclaimed production more than achieved what it set out to do.

As a clarinetist, I regularly perform with Goldfield and Okeanos. I’ve performed at most major UK venues and festivals as soloist and chamber musician including the Purcell Room, Kings Place, St Georges Bristol, The Barbican (BBC Total Immersion) Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. In 2014 I was resident clarinetist at the Presteigne Festival and subsequent Presteigne Tour. I have given over 70 premieres and have recorded for NMC, Metier and Minabel. My two solo CDs (which can be found here and here) both received the highest accolades including 5* reviews from Gramophone and ‘Pick of the Month’ in the chamber music section for the BBC Music Magazine.

I studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, I have an MPhil from Cambridge University and a doctorate in composition from Kings College London. From 2003 – 2016 I held a senior academic and post at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was awarded a Fellowship from the School in 2014. I’ve written articles for the Guardian, The Cusp magazine and been a guest speaker on BBC Radio 3 Music Matters.  I’m the Artistic Director of Goldfield Production company and we’re very excited about our next big collaborative touring event…more soon!