Kathryn Chester received both Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Master of Music in Piano Performance degrees from URI where she performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto No.1 with the URI symphony in 1992. A piano instructor for over 20 years, she is now an adjunct professor of music at URI. She continues as an active recitalist throughout the state and has accompanied many young competition winners. Having always been interested in Suzuki piano pedagogy, she received her certification this year after studying with Mary Craig Powell, respected author of “Focus on Suzuki Piano”.

Kathryn has been involved with the URI Preparatory Program for many years as a piano teacher, and was director of the Youth Chorus in 2000. She has been a music educator at South Kingstown Junior High School, in the Warwick and Cranston schools and in RIMEA, ESPYM and RI Scholar Athlete Games summer programs.

On the lighter side, Kathryn has been music director for “Charlie Hall’s Ocean State Follies” for over 14 years. This award-winning comedy cabaret pokes loving fun at the state in weekly performances throughout southeastern New England. Her arrangement of “Rhode Island’s It for Me” became the state song in 1996.