Teaching Biography
Catherine Cook is a passionate educator and arts advocate whose multifaceted career of more than 25 years has spanned private teaching, institutional leadership, masterclasses, and residencies at top-tier vocal programs. She is a true example of what it is to have and maintain a business and life in the arts, and she is devoted to mentoring the next generation of young artists both in the studio and beyond.
In addition to maintaining a private studio, she is an esteemed member of the voice faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she currently holds the Frederica von Stade Distinguished Chair in Voice.
Cook’s personalized method and approach to vocal education empowers students to find their individual voice both technically and artistically throughout their study with her. Drawing upon years of experience on some of the most prestigious stages in the world, her teaching is based in the bel canto method and reflects her long time association with her mentor, teacher, and pedagogue, Barbara Honn.
Her students are regularly featured in prestigious young artist programs and companies both in the United States and abroad, including the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, San Francisco Opera, Merola Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Glimmerglass, Wolf Trap, Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS, Central City Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Theater Basil, Saratoga Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Arizona Opera, Pensacola Opera, Portland Opera, Des Moines Opera, Opera San Jose, and Hawaii Opera Theater, among others.
Her students have also been successful in competitions both locally and internationally including the Metropolitan Opera Laffont competition, James Toland Vocal Arts, Classical Singer, Lois Alba Aria Competition, NATS artist awards, Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, Pasadena Vocal Competition, Butler Opera International Competition, and the Belvedere Competition.
Faculty Profile:
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Cathy and mentor Barbara Honn backstage at San Francisco Opera, 2013
She is a sought-after masterclass teacher and has served residencies at numerous universities, conservatories, and young artist programs. In addition to her local work with the San Francisco Opera Center and the San Francisco Conservatory Preparatory School, she has also taught at Opera Colorado, New England Conservatory, Schmidt Vocal Arts, University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, Classical Singer, California State University Stanislaus, Cal State Los Angeles, University of Nevada Las Vegas, San Jose State, Opera in the Ozarks, and Musiktheater Bavaria.
Cathy and mentor Barbara Honn backstage at San Francisco Opera, 2013
For masterclass booking and residency information, please contact us.
Photo Credit: Vero Kherian, Kersh Branz, San Francisco Conservatory of Music