Pianist Kathryn Goodson is an international performer, teacher and coach, noted for passionate mastery of diverse styles and languages. Dubbed a “générateur de couleurs et de lumières,” by the Journal de Genève, and a player of “authority and feeling” by the International Herald Tribune, she collaborates with vocalists, instrumentalists, composers and dancers abroad and at home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Goodson serves as pianist-coach for the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance and her signature master classes include Amerikanisches Lied, taught in Germany, and Songs4Winds, taught throughout the U.S.
As curator of American music, particularly by Charles Ives, Goodson created an entire season of chamber music programs for the Internationale-Hugo-Wolf-Akademie in Stuttgart in the 1990’s and for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2013. Dr. Goodson has long explored African American vocal repertoire, recording for Dr. Willis Patterson’s 2nd African American Art Song Anthology and serving as pianist-coach for the George Shirley Vocal Competition. She currently is preparing students to record for an upcoming African Diaspora Anthology, published by University of Michigan Professors, Drs. Louise Toppin and Scott Piper.
As a recording artist, Goodson’s dynamic output reflects her career. Belle Nuit, a Navona release of “sparkling heights” (American Record Guide), features saxophonists Donald Sinta and Timothy McAllister, hornist Gail Williams and bass trombonist Randall Hawes. Goodson’s artistry is further found on Innova (duo with McAllister), Albany (duo with Hawes), and, on Equilibrium and Blue Griffin, in releases of Italian-Jewish repertoire with soprano Caroline Helton.
Goodson completes her activity through performance and community engagement. With McAllister and Hawes, Goodson forms the sax-bass trombone-piano trio, Vox3Machina, of the Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates roster. Founding pianist of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra KinderConcerts, she also co-founded Concert4aCause and a 2020 mini-series, Social Distance 4 Social Justice.
As a 1990’s Fulbright Scholar in Germany, Goodson was awarded highest honors for the Musikhochschule Karlsruhe Liedgestaltung Konzertexam with Hartmut Höll and Mitsuko Shirai. Her American degrees are the University of Michigan collaborative piano MM & DMA with Martin Katz and an Oberlin Conservatory Piano Performance B.M.