Kate Romano

I’ve been making things happen with considerable energy for the past 6 years. I founded the Goldfield Ensemble in 2011 and in addition to our chamber music  concerts, we’ve created collaborative events, education projects and enjoy imaginative programming.  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 Stapleford Granary. We’ve commissioned new works (Arlene Sierra, Kathy Hinde, Robin Holloway) and we partnered with the Wellcome Trust and sculptor Simeon Nelson to create an audio-visual event called Anarchy in the Organism.  Last year we toured our  RITUAL IN TRANSFIGURED TIME programme with Langham Research Centre – a bringing-together of old and new technology, sound and film, conventional and self-made instruments.

The Goldfield Ensemble is now resident ensemble within Goldfield Productions, a charitable incorporated organisation. I’m the Artistic Director of Goldfield Productions who exist to create adventures in sound for everyone, to transform the everyday into the extraordinary and reawaken our ears. Our next touring production is set for 2018; more details soon.

I moved into production in 2012 when 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 five art forms in a 60 minute time frame. We wanted to make opera that would fit any space, any place and explored what was really happening when the two cultures met in an artistic framework.  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 the Goldfield Ensemble. 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). 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 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, BBC Proms and been a guest speaker on BBC Radio 3 Music Matters.  As well as running Goldfield Productions, I work as a freelance producer and writer. I’m passionate about 20th century concrete, birds, landscapes of all kind, listening (and how we do it) and book shops.