Fort Worth Opera's Brief Encounters, April 2018
"The stand out performance in Feel the Tango, and of the afternoon, was mezzo-soprano Katherine Tombaugh as the waitress who attempts to seduce the dimwitted husband. She was not only funny and sexy but she also sang with a wonderfully rich dark timbre."
Winter Opera St. Louis’ La Cenerentola, January 2017
"The Winter Opera cast is led by the beautiful Kate Tombaugh in the title role. It's unusual for an operatic heroine to be written as a coloratura contralto and such creatures are rare. But Miss Tombaugh more than triumphs as our Cinderella. Her lovely voice is full of power and clarity. She projects to the rafters and her diction is crystalline. (I found myself actually understanding some of the Italian!) In the last scene, after blissing through a particularly demanding tour de force aria, "Perché tremar, perché?" she gives us an astonishing crescendo as she soars to that very highest note. Amazing!" (Source.)
Winter Opera St. Louis’ La Cenerentola, January 2017
"...a leading couple who were vocally, dramatically and physically attractive. As Cenerentola/Angelina, mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh sang flawlessly and captured the character’s essential goodness..." (Source.)
Indianapolis Opera’s American Premiere of Mansfield Park, March 2016
"…Fanny, a role radiantly filled by Kate Tombaugh. In her performance, Fanny’s vulnerability and sturdy integrity were both brought into play through a voice that rang true in every situation.” (Source.)
“In the youthful cast, the big-voiced and petite mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh was terrific in the title role, utterly convincing dramatically, and musically superlative: her vocal coloration dark enough for a role originally written for a male castrato and bright and agile enough when needed to highlight the youthful ardor of the young heir to the throne of Scotland. In the role’s signature aria, Scherza infida, she lovingly spun out the long vocal line while inflecting the words with mixed emotions. For the dacapo return she soberly added just enough ornamentation to sustain the interest of the listener throughout a ten-minute-plus scena.” (Source.)Cincinnati Chamber Opera’s Ariodante, February 2015
concert:nova’s El Amor Brujo, June 2014
“The young mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh sang the part of the haunted gypsy girl, Candelas: her lyric voice rang clearly, her chest tones were impressive, and her handling of the Spanish text and Gitano accent were authentic.” (Source.)
Winter Opera St. Louis’ Falstaff, February 2014
“Mezzo-Soprano Kate Tombaugh was a delight as Meg Page.” (Source.)
"The cast is led by a simply stunning performance by mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh as Isabella. With smooth warmth and agility throughout her range her voice swells to glory on those high notes. She makes the singing seem so easy that she can, with a clear conscience, devote much of her attention to acting. And in this she triumphs." (Source)Winter Opera St. Louis’ L’italiana in Algeri, January 2019
Winter Opera St. Louis’ L’italiana in Algeri, January 2019
"Kate Tombaugh’s impressive mezzo-soprano soars in her winning interpretation of the high-spirited and determined Isabella." (Source)
Fort Worth Opera's Companionship, May 2019, world premiere
"The Dough, well-acted and -sung by mezzo Kate Tombaugh, is a capricious creature, simultaneously wise and childlike." (Source)
Fort Worth Opera's Companionship, May 2019, world premiere
"Mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh maintained a clean, substantial quality and lively presence in a decidedly unglamorous role of the domineering Dough." (Source)