Starting in September of 2024, Houston born mezzo-soprano KATHERINE DOBBS is in pursuit of an Artist Diploma as a First-Year Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts, under the tutelage of Bill Schuman. In May of 2024 she graduated with her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, under the tutelage of Dr. Robin Rice. At Rice she performed as Lucretia in The Rape of Lucretia, Filipievna (Olga cover) in Eugene Onegin, Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea and Mrs. Jones in Street Scene. While at Rice she won 2nd place in the Houston Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s Career Grant Competition (2023). In May of 2022 she earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance with minors in German & Italian from DePauw University's School of Music, under the combined tutelage of Caroline Smith, Dr. Kerry Jennings, and Dr. Thomas King. At DePauw she performed as Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice, Miss Todd in The Old Maid and the Thief, Die Knusperhexe in Hänsel und Gretel, and Madame de la Haltière in Cendrillon. Past summer engagements include the performance of Ježibaba in LAH-SOW’s Rusalka (2023), the position of Studio Artist in Music Academy of the West’s Lehrer Vocal Institute (2023), and participation in the Intermediate Program at Dolora Zajick's Institute for Young Dramatic Voices (2020-2023).