BIOGRAPHY
A leading interpreter of contemporary chamber music, violinist Kate Stenberg’s playing has been described as “highly virtuosic and deeply communicative…full of character and presence” (NewMusicBox).
As a champion of new music, Stenberg has premiered over a hundred solo and chamber works including compositions by Gabriela Lena Frank, Peter Sculthorpe, Chinary Ung, Ronald Bruce Smith, Tania León, Charles Amirkhanian, Per Nørgård, and Kui Dong. Her recordings are available on New World Records, Sono Luminus, Newport Classics, New Albion and Other Minds Records. Her latest CD release with Other Minds Records includes a world premiere recording of Lou Harrison’s Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin.
Currently, Stenberg performs regularly with pianist Sarah Cahill. The Stenberg|Cahill Duo is dedicated to promoting the American experimental tradition and expanding it through the commissioning of new work. “Contemporary music fans are fortunate to have this simultaneously authoritative and approachable pair,” writes the San Francisco Classical Voice. Stenberg|Cahill Duo appearances include performances at the Mendocino Music Festival, San Francisco Performances PIVOT, Berkeley Chamber Performances, Cal State Fullerton New Music Festival, Berkeley Museum of Art and Pacific Film Archive, Mills College’s Music in the Fault Zone Festival, and Other Minds New Music Séance,. The duo has recently commissioned works from Pamela Z, Roscoe Mitchell, and Aaron Gervais.
Kate Stenberg’s passion for chamber music led her to develop and commission new chamber music as co-founder of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble (1993-1998) and Real Vocal String Quartet (2004-2006). From 1995-2015, she served as first violinist of the award winning Del Sol String Quartet, which actively commissioned new quartet repertoire. The Del Sol Quartet twice earned the top prize of Chamber Music America’s ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Her festival performances have included Other Minds, Ojai Music Festival, Cabrillo, Centre Acanthes (France), Banff (Canada), Nirmita Composer’s Institute (Cambodia/Bangkok), and Chengdu Contemporary Music Festival (China).
In 2022, Stenberg founded The Mycos Project with Irene Sazer - a collective of multi-media artists, educators and scientists whose mission is to expand climate change awareness through the arts, ecological sciences and Indigenous practice. She has also collaborated and premiered work alongside choreographers Janice Garrett, Charles Moulton and Nancy Karp. She frequently plays in the San Francisco Symphony and can be heard on recordings with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, New Music Works and Maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
Bay Area native Kate Stenberg holds degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory and the Eastman School of Music. She maintains and active teaching schedule and when she is not immersed in her music scores, she can be found enjoying Taiji or hiking trails in her beloved Sierra Nevada.