Organist & Piano Accompanist
Kate Ryan brings to the AML Golden Voice Studio a vast knowledge of
traditional early to late religious and secular music repertoire.
She is also an avid composer
of religious vocal music and her readiness and willingness to help and encourage
student members of the Voci D'Oro (Golden Voices) Studio Choir continues to attract much admiration
and respect from everybody acquainted with her musically.
She is a selfless musician and a rich exponent of
talented musical creativity who constantly thrives to meet the musical demands of
challenging compositional works with truthful conviction and mastery.
Kate Ryan
Organist & Piano Accompanist "Voci D'Oro" (Golden Voices)
Biography
Kate
Ryan has been the AML Golden Voice Studio's official Organist and Piano accompanist since
2002. Her love and insatiable passion in achieving beautiful vocal music and her strong belief in
the rare artform of “Natural Voice Production” have made her commit wholeheartedly to
this most indispensable mission to propagate this much needed and long-awaited Vocal Truth.
Kate
Ryan is the official accompanist of the "AML Voci D'Oro" (Golden Voices) - the choir Antonio
set up to give his students extra teaching time and experience in singing in parts. They
sing at Saint Peter and Paul's Church in South Melbourne on a regular basis and at other
venues on request.
Kate could only stretch 6 notes on her Grandmother's piano when she began lessons from her favourite
aunt. Later she took lessons at the convent of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition
from Mother Regis and then from Sr. Raymond.
Having decided that she never wanted to stop playing, she
studied under Nancy Weir for a 4-year Bachelor of Music degree at Melbourne University.
As she had been playing in church since she was 15, she took up the pipe organ as her 2nd instrument,
studying under Maestro Sergio di Pieri. After a year of teacher training at Melbourne Teachers' College,
she taught in schools in Melbourneand then in Canberra, where she was organist at St. Christopher's
Cathedral for two years, leaving there to study for twelve months in Italy.
Returning to Melbourne
to resume teaching, she met her husband and settled down in Middle Park to have their
two children and to take private students.She has since returned to Europe and has been privileged
to perform on some magnificent organs in both Italy and Spain. Currently, with encouragement from
Antonio, as well as accompanying the Voci D'Oro, Kate now also composes liturgical music for them,
which they perform in Saint Peter and Paul's Church. Kate still takes private piano students from
ages 4 to 84 (yes!).She plays the organ not only at South Melbourne, but also at St. Joseph's, Port
Melbourne, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Middle Park, Xavier College Chapel, Kew and in other
churches on request.
She plays not only for church services, but enjoys playing for weddings and
funerals, wedding receptions and other accompanying work. She teaches A.M.E.B. music
theory at the Mac.Robertson Girls High School. Kate enjoys every minute working with Antonio and
the Voci D'Oro:
"It is rather like attending a Master Class
twice a week. We all learn together with and from each other and each person is treated with absolute
respect. The studio becomes the "truth room", but no one would ever laugh unkindly at another's
mistakes. It is very self-affirming.
All are encouraged to do their best, none put down or embarrassed,
so each person can be free to reach their full potential. It is the ideal learning situation
- hard work, but lots of fun."
