Keyboardist Katherine Shao has spent most of her professional life blending forms and genres into new formats. A classically trained pianist and harpsichordist, Katherine's projects have always pushed the envelope of the conventional: from multimedia performances of new music commissioned for historical instruments, to the production of a one-act radio drama based on her play, The Death of Anton Webern. After studying and incorporating the language and techniques of jazz into her playing, the idea of blending jazz forms with found-audio soundscapes was a natural evolution.
In the Cosmic Gothic ensemble, jazz, early music, and audio soundscape converge in avant-garde yet accessible works. Katherine's compositions draw from a wide range of subjects and origins, and find inspiration in the work of many predecessors, recalling the past through the lens of the present.
Katherine's collaborators bring these works to life with their masterful artistry: Dan Fox on trombone, Todd Brunel on bass clarinet, Peter Tillotson on bass, and Steve Langone on drums.
