Catherine Hawkins Knell

Catherine Hawkins Knell

Instruments: Voice and Piano

Location: Newburyport

Education: Gordon College, B.A. in Music

Catherine’s love of music began before she could read the lyrics to her favorite songs. She started formal music study with piano at age 8 and voice at age 11, and she went on to study with Susan Brooks at Gordon College, graduating with a B.A. in Music in 2011. As a senior, Catherine studied in Salzburg, Austria, with Yvonne Douthat Hartinger. After college, she continued to study voice in Boston under Maria Spacagna, the first American-born opera singer to play Madame Butterfly in Milan, Italy. Since then, Catherine has performed with Lyricora, a New England based choir that focuses on contemporary classical music and choral education. A few of her other performances include Pitti-Sing in “The Hot Mikado,” and a daughter in “The Pirates of Penzance.” Catherine has been teaching private lessons for the past eight years. She approaches lessons with an open heart, meeting students where they’re at, supporting them in their goals, and challenging them to reach further than they thought possible. She has prepared students for various auditions, including Districts and college admissions. Catherine loves hearing her students’ voices be freed from tension and restraint, and she provides her piano students with guidance and a sense of joy from creating music.