Kathy Olson

Position
Assistant Professor
Affiliated Departments
Telephone
617-747-3139

For media inquiries, please contact Media Relations

Career Highlights
  • Leader/founder of, Olson Pingrey Quartet and Achilles Heal Saxophone Quartet
  • Current member of, Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, Peter Kenagy's Monkfisk Jazz Orchestra, and Conical Cacophony
  • Selected recordings include, Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra: Down A Rabbit Hole, Summit Records (2018), Mehmet Ali Sanlikol Jazz Orchestra: whatsnext, and Olson Pingrey Quartet: Low Contrast (2011)
  • Instruments include, baritone sax (primary), tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, and flute
  • Studied with, John D'earth, Charlie Banacos, Jerry Bergonzi, and John McNeil
Education
  • School Name
    New England Conservatory of Music
    Degree
    Master of Music (MM)
    Field of Study
    Jazz Performance
    Date Degree Received
  • School Name
    University of Virginia-Main Campus
    State or Province
    Virginia
    Degree
    Bachelor of Arts (BA)
    Field of Study
    Music
    Date Degree Received
In Their Own Words

"I would love for students to start developing a lifelong passion for the fundamentals as they study harmony at Berklee. As a musician, I work with these fundamentals every day. I have worked with them my whole musical life, hearing and feeling them in different ways as I have grown and changed throughout my career as a musician."

"As a multi-instrumentalist, improviser, and composer, I use the concepts that I teach in the Harmony Department courses every day. Music theory is practical and beautiful to me, which makes it a joy to teach at Berklee."