About Kate
Mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh is a versatile performer who brings warmth and authenticity to every performance.
During the 2025-2026 season, she will be performing and recording songs of composer & lyricist Rachel J. Peters with Alan Johnson, pianist. She returns to solo with the New Philharmonic, under the direction of Maestro Kirk Muspratt, for their “Broadway Through the Years” concert.
Last season, Kate made her debut with the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra, singing the original songs of Gary S. Fagin, composer, lyricist, and conductor, culminating in a professional recording of his songs with pianist Alan Johnson. She also debuted with the Bach Society of St. Louis under the baton of Dennis Sparger and made a return solo appearance with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra with maestro Stephen Alltop.
Kate had the distinct pleasure of debuting the lead mezzo role of “The Dough” in composer/librettist Rachel J. Peter’s Companionship in both the world premiere with Fort Worth Opera, and the orchestral premiere with Virginia Arts Festival-John Duffy Institute for New Music.
Other leading roles include two of Rossini’s heroines with Winter Opera St. Louis in L’italiana in Algeri (Isabella) and La Cenerentola (Angelina), “Hansel” in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (Stockton Opera), “Ariodante” in Handel’s Ariodante (Cincinnati Chamber Opera) and “Fanny Price” in the American premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park (Indianapolis Opera). She portrayed “Naomi” in the Midwestern premiere of Ruth by Dr. Philip Hagemann, a co-production between the University of Southern Indiana, Evansville Philharmonic, and the London-based Pegasus Opera.
Her career in opera was initiated when she placed third in the Chicago Regional MONC Auditions, hosted by NYC’s Metropolitan Opera. Since then, other career highlights have included winning the 10th annual Mildred C. Miller International Vocal Competition, hosted by Pittsburgh Festival Opera, performing as a soloist at Carnegie Hall upon winning the Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition, winning the Harold Haugh Light Opera Vocal Competition, placing second in the Nicholas Z. Loren Vocal Competition, hosted by the Holland Chorale, and being awarded the “Grace Keagy Award” by NYC-based Kurt Weill Foundation in their annual Lotte Lenya Foundation.
Tombaugh’s other portrayals include title roles in Handel’s Ariodante and Massenet’s Cinderella, ‘Annie Oakley’ in Irving Berlin’s Annie, Get your Gun, and ‘Mad Margaret’ in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore, among others. She has been a regular soloist with the New Philharmonic, Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, Bach Collegium of Fort Wayne, and BEST Ensemble of Cincinnati, with additional appearances in the ensemble at Chicago Opera Theater and as soloist with the Utah Symphony, Jackson Symphony, Seattle Orchestra, Apollo Chorus, concert:nova, Lexington Philharmonic, and Performance Santa Fe.
Kate trained as a young artist in the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist program, as a Gerdine Artist with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and as a Resident Artist with Utah Opera. Additionally, she was a Stern Fellow with the LA-based Songfest, and performed in the Opera Studio at AIMS in Graz, Austria. She holds a masters degree in voice from University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), and dual undergraduate degrees in english literature and vocal performance from Illinois Wesleyan University.
Kate performs and produces her newest show for voice and piano,
La Vie en Rose: The Songs of Edith Piaf,
available for future presentations.
Please stay tuned for more information, and reach out if you’d like to see her bring this show to your area.
Kate is also the Founder and Executive Director of Poco a Poco,
a 501c(3) music nonprofit based in Illinois.
To learn more, please visit: www.pocoapoco.org