Cat Sandstedt (She/Her), Coloratura Soprano, is a New York based musician who will graduate with her Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in Vocal Performance from Stony Brook University in May of 2023. Ms. Sandstedt was drawn to NY when she first met her current voice teacher, Soprano Brenda Harris, at OperaNEO in San Diego, CA in 2015. This prompted Ms. Sandstedt to move to NY to receive her Master of Music (MM) in 2018, and then continue on to complete her DMA just this year!

Ms. Sandstedt has enjoyed many performances while at Stony Brook, namely performing in the adaptation of Debussy’s opera Impressions de Pelléas (Mélisande), and Poulenc’s opera Dialogues des Carmélites (Blanche), as well as Pigmalion (L’amour) and Il re pastore (Elisa). In addition, she has performed with the University Orchestra as a soloist for Handel’s Messiah; she performed Villa-Lobos’ No. 5 “Bachianas Brasileiras” on Stony Brook’s recurring Starry Nights concert in 2019; performed a duet from Derrick Wang’s opera Scalia/Ginsburg, with Tenor Jeremy Little and Derrick Wang himself at the piano; and performed the premiere of Nathan Heidelberger’s work, “Come il vento tra queste piante” with the Contemporary Chamber Players.

Before moving to New York, she received her Bachelor of Music in both Voice and Viola Performance from the University of Missouri where she studied with Ann Harrell (voice) and Leslie Perna (viola). She worked closely with Christine Seitz on many operatic performances before she graduated in 2016. Performances include Le Nozze di Figaro (Susanna), Gianni Schicchi (Nella) and The Crucible (Mary Warren). Additionally, she has performed at OperaNEO, which is based in San Diego, in Gluck’s Armide (Lucinde/Plaisir), and Handel’s Rinaldo (Almirena), where she was praised by the San Diego Story for her “ample voice.”

Ms. Sandstedt is an avid choral singer, and often returns to her home state of Missouri to sing with choral ensembles, including Vox Nova, and Prometheus, where she has worked with world-renowned conductor, Dr. Paul Crabb. She has also spent 6 years singing as both a ringer and full-time member of NYC’s Marble Collegiate Choir, under the direction of Ken Dake.

Ms. Sandstedt has a love for teaching, and has been sharing her passion of music with her students at Suffolk County Community College as an Adjunct Faculty member since 2018. She has also taught privately since 2011, teaching many instruments: Voice, Viola, Violin, Cello and Piano. Ms. Sandstedt enjoys working with students of all ages and musical backgrounds, hoping to help each student find their confidence with music, develop safe and proper technique and also help to expand their knowledge to better understand the theory behind the music each student learns.

In addition to these activities, she has competed in many competitions, and was a 1st place winner and soloist for the North Shore Choir (2019); placed top 10 in the Kentucky Bach Choir Competition (2016); and placed 2nd in the Senior Women division at the 2015 National level of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).

For more information, please visit: www.catherinesandstedtsoprano.com