2019 Adjudicators
Dr. Kathryn Tremills
Upper Strings
Dr. Kathryn Tremills has been described by the press as “a brilliant pianist”, “a performer of amazing technical artistry and mature virtuosity” and “a remarkably perceptive and gifted musician.” In demand as a performer, teacher, coach and adjudicator, Kathryn holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan and is an alumnus of the Eastman School of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Toronto. Pianists with whom Kathryn has worked intensively include Martin Katz, Dr. Nelita True, Angela Cheng, Marietta Orlov, Gwen Beamish and Shirley Hawkins.
As a founding member of Women on the Verge with sopranos Elizabeth McDonald and Emily Martin, bookings see Kathryn performing, teaching and lecturing in France, Iceland, the United Kingdom as well as Canada and the USA. Kathryn’s extensive performing career has taken her to the stages of Roy Thomson Hall, Koerner Hall, George Weston Recital Hall, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Off Centre Music Salon, the Canadian Art Song Project, Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre Thursday Noon Concerts, and Pro Musica Detroit, Royal Poinciana Chapel Concert Series in West Palm Beach, to name a few, appearing with numerous singers, instrumentalists and vocal ensembles including Colin Ainsworth, Emily D’Angelo, Corey Gemmell, Achilles Liarmakopoulos, Andrea Ludwig, Shannon Mercer, Lydia Munchinsky, Sean Panikkar, Peter Stoll, Giles Tomkins and Monica Whicher. A three-time Canada Council Grant recipient, she has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras in North America, including premiering a piano concerto written for her by Canadian composer Andrew Ager. Kathryn’s versatile skills have lead her to the musical staff at the Canadian Opera Company as a coach and répétiteur and the vast list of choral groups she has accompanied includes the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir, High Park Choirs, Ontario Youth Choir and the world-renowned Toronto Children’s Chorus. Active as a recording artist, her extensive discography includes her debut solo album of 2004 Dedication and 2016 chamber album Piano Centric, and encompasses a vast array of vocal, choral and 21st century chamber music.
Kathryn is a Sessional Lecturer at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, has held summer positions for many years at Centre for Opera, Sulmona in Italy (COSI) and serves as Director of Collaborative Piano at the Canadian Operatic Arts Academy (COAA). Kathryn resides in Toronto with her husband, bass-baritone Giles Tomkins and their son.