Dr. Kathryn Ladano is known for her unique sounds as one of Canada’s foremost bass clarinetists. As a specialist of contemporary music and free improvisation, Ladano is an in-demand collaborator, soloist, and educator. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Canada and abroad and has been an integral part of many different creative projects and endeavours. Kathryn holds a PhD from York University, a masters degree in bass clarinet performance from the University of Calgary and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Waterloo. Kathryn is heavily involved in both educational and creative work. She served as Artistic Director for NUMUS concerts for 10 years and she also worked as a contract faculty member in the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University for 14 years where she directed ICE (Improvisation Concerts Ensemble), and taught a variety of courses in Improvisation, Performance, Musical Skills, Community Music, and Music History. Kathryn is also the bass clarinet instructor at the University of Waterloo. Currently, Kathryn performs as a soloist and in a number of ensembles that specialize in new music and free improvisation such as Stealth; her duo with famed TorQ percussionist, Richard Burrows. The duo released their debut CD, “…listen”, in the summer of 2015. Kathryn has also released two solo albums, “Open” (2010) and “Masked” (2019). Her next album, "Anatomy of the Recovering Brain" will be released in late 2024.