Katherine Petersen

Katherine Petersen’s performances have been praised as “radiant” by the Chicago Tribune and “immaculate” by Chicagoland Musical Theatre. Based in Chicago, Katherine performs with Lyric Opera Chicago: Lyric Unlimited, Folks Operetta, the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, Chicago Opera Theater, and Thompson Street Opera Company. Recent roles include Beryl Barbelle/Max in Katie: The Strongest of the Strong, Sarah Spangle in Off-Nights at the Sometimes Cafe, Charlotte Van der Veer Quick Osgood Mason in No One’s Child,  Abuela/Monkey in Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Niña en el Mundo, Gonda van der Loo in The Girl in the Train, Rose Maybud in Ruddigore. Other recent roles include Margot in Die Kathrin, Bessie Throckmorton in Merrie England, Brigitta in Iolanta, Contessa in Marriage of Figaro, Counsel to the Plaintiff in Trial by Jury, Lady of the Lake in Masque at Kenilworth, and Sylva Varescu in Csardas Princess. Previous regional performances include appearances with Opera Columbus, Bay View Music Festival, and the Russian Opera Workshop. Highlights of previous roles include Musetta in La bohème, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Francesca in Rachmaninoff’s Francesca di Rimini, and Micaëla in Carmen. Concert repertoire highlights include soprano soloist in Britten’s Les Illuminations with Camerata Chicago, Dona Nobis Pacem by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer 1915, Villa-Lobos’s Bachianas brasileiras No.5, and Handel’s Messiah.

Dr. Petersen is Associate Professor of Voice at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago where she teaches Pedagogy, Repertoire Seminar for Voice, Studio Voice, and Diction for Singers. She holds a MM in Pedagogy and Performance from Westminster Choir College and a DMA in Voice Performance from Ohio State University. Her doctoral dissertation “Russian Repertoire: Developmental Perspectives” investigates the paucity of Russian Song Repertoire in the American Voice studio and recital hall. During her time at OSU, Katherine was head of the Swank Voice Lab for Research and Pedagogy and taught several courses including Voice Pedagogy and Advanced Measurement Techniques for Voice. She was a participant in the 2018 Voice Pedagogy Summit II at the University of Southern California and the 2017 NATS Intern Program in Toronto; she was co-host of the International Voice Pedagogy Summit I at Ohio State University in 2015, as well as co-host of the NATS Summer Intern Program in 2014. She has presented research at several conferences including those hosted by the Central Region NATS, the Hawaii International Conference for Arts and Humanities, the Chicago Chapter of NATS, the International Congress of Voice Teachers, and the Pan American Vocology Association.  

Katherine is a member of Decho Ensemble, specializing in 21st century repertoire for any combination of voice, saxophone, and piano. They have performed at the International Congress of Voice Teachers in Vienna, the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project, NUNC 6!, and the International Saxophone Symposium. Decho has been heard on broadcasts in the US, Canada, Europe and has been invited for ensemble residencies at Ohio University and the Lionel Hampton School of Music. You can find Decho Ensemble’s self-titled album on Youtube, Apple Music, and Spotify.