KATHLEEN BARTKOWSKI

Accompanist

In addition to The Vernon Chorale, Kathleen Bartkowski accompanies the University Chorale and the vocal department at Central Connecticut State University. She is frequently invited to accompany choral festivals, musicals, and other community, college, and professional ensembles. In 2014, Kathleen was contracted to play for the CT Eastern Region HS Honor Choir and the New England Music Festival Association (NEMFA) Honor Choir.

Among other groups, Kathleen has accompanied are the Vermont Opera Theater, Mak’hela (Jewish Chorus of Western Massachusetts), the Mystic River Chorale, and many ACDA and NAfME honors choirs and conference sessions on the local, state, and national levels. Some recent highlights include Connecticut All-State Honors choirs, New York All-State Honor Choir, and the ACDA National Men’s Honor Choir. She has also had the honor of traveling with the UMass choirs and the Mystic River Chorale to Europe on several occasions.

Kathleen has been playing for churches for over 25 years, and is currently the Organist and Celebrate Accompanist for St. Luke Lutheran Church in Gales Ferry, Connecticut. She has served as a Member-at-Large on the Connecticut American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and New London County American Guild of Organists (AGO) Executive Boards. Her professional achievements are recognized in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who of American Women, and Who’s Who in the World.

Kathleen earned a Master of Music degree in Piano Accompanying from the University of  Massachusetts, Amherst, where she accompanied the University Chamber Choir, Chorale, vocalists, and instrumentalists. While pursuing her degree, she was granted the Eugenie M. May Award for Piano Performance. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Connecticut, where she served as accompanist for the choral department, playing for the University Chorale, Concert Choir, and Graduate Vocal Ensemble, as well as vocalists and instrumentalists. While attending UConn, Kathleen was awarded a University String Scholarship and the Victor Borge Scholarship.

Kathleen lives in Colchester with her husband, Doug, and their cats, Ben and Jerry.