Dr. Kate Alexandra, DMA (she/her)
is a solo, chamber, and orchestral double bass performer and educator with a passion for social justice, inclusion, and representation. Kate has performed with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Party of Note Chamber Series), and Cincinnati Soundbox. She also served as a professional fellow at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. Kate advocates for diversifying the classical music world through her commission and performance of new double bass compositions.
Kate presented recitals and lecture-recitals at notable conferences such as the International Society of Bassists (ISB) and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). At the 2023 ISB Conference, she presented “Putting the ‘Us’ in Music: A World Premiere Recital of Six New Works by Women Composers.” Kate also organized and moderated the panel “From the Ground Up: Building and Sustaining your Private Studio” for the 2023 ASTA Virtual String Teachers Summit. At the 2022 Hybrid ASTA National Conference, Kate presented the session “Commissioning for Everybody: An Individual’s Guide to Fundraising, Recording, and Collaborating.”
Kate held a variety of administrative positions throughout her career, one of which serving as a studio teacher liaison on the Illinois ASTA board from 2022 to 2024. During her two-year term, Kate developed a strong professional community of studio teachers in Illinois and across the United States. Totally 41 online events, she hosted the monthly Illinois ASTA Studio Chat and the Studio Teacher Book Club, which concentrates on pedagogy and andragogy, with a focus in social justice and inclusion in music education. From 2020-2024, Kate served on ASTA’s National Studio Teacher Committee, making regular appearances at the committee’s roundtable discussions during national conferences.
She earned her doctorate in double bass performance with a cognate in arts administration from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music in 2019. As an educator in double bass performance, Kate has taught at both university and secondary levels at several institutions, including Black Hills State University, Ball State University, the Cincinnati Double Bass Institute, and the Cincinnati Public School system.
She is a member of the Chicago Federation of Musicians, local 10-208, and a lifetime member of the International Society of Bassists.