Kate Oliphant

Born in Agana, Guam but a native of Northern Virginia, Kate Oliphant’s musical journey began at the age of three when she began insistently begging for a drum set. Her mother decided to preserve the family's sanity with a compromise: one year of piano lessons to earn a drum set. This sparked a lifelong relationship with music for Kate.

After learning to play piano and drums, her guitar career started at the age of 12 when she began under the tutelage of Joseph Ikner. Kate quickly fell in love with the instrument, continuing her studies through high school with Sam Wong and into college with Jason Pickard. In 2014, Kate graduated with a double major in History and Music Performance from Gardner-Webb University where she was voted the Most Outstanding Female Graduate by her professors. Kate graduated from East Carolina University in 2016 with her Masters in Music Performance with the esteemed Dr. Elliot Frank. While at ECU, Kate was the Humanities Graduate Oral Winner of the Research and Creative Achievement Week.

Her performance’s repertoire emphasizes work by women composers, including selections from lauded Spanish composer Gloria Villanueva and Romantic Era prodigy Madame Sidney Pratten. Kate utilizes her skill as a presenter and teacher in her performance, educating the audience about not only the techniques she uses, but also the history and creative processes for the pieces she performs. She is a dynamic speaker and performer, who brings humor and heart into everything she does.