Kathryn Knowles is a composer, cellist, and writer based in Toronto, Ontario. She is interested in multidisciplinary artistic exchange and in exploring the creative process. Her work is versatile and demonstrates moments of dramatic expressivity and, conversely, moments of intricate wit and humour. She is recognized for her elegant orchestrations and her eccentric thematic material. Kathryn draws inspiration from her day-to-day life, the people she meets, and the places she goes. She uses her music to abstract and express her story as it unfolds.
Her works have been played in workshops by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The New Orford String Quartet, and the Penderecki String Quartet. She is currently working on a piece with the Accordion and Clarinet Duo, Joseph Petric and Martin Carpentier, to be premiered in 2020 in Toronto and Montreal.
Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of International Business from Queen’s University, as well as a Master in Music Composition from the University of Toronto where she was awarded the Joseph Armand Bombardier Canadian Graduate Scholarship. During her time at U of T, Kathryn initiated and led the creation of an annual interdisciplinary conference to showcase artistic creation-based research known as the Multidisciplinary Creative Conference.
In addition to her work as a composer and writer, Kathryn is the General Manager of the Canadian League of Composers, a Cello Instructor with Sistema Toronto, and the Music Director of Music4Life String Orchestra. Kathryn is a strong advocate for the accessibility of music and art in today’s society and she values the constant pursuit and celebration of knowledge.
