Canadian-born Concert Guitarist Katie Lonson is a unique soloist and chamber musician whose exceptional musicality and powerful stage presence define her.
About me
Katie began her musical studies at the Senior Academy Program for Gifted Youth at Mount Royal University’s Conservatory in Calgary, Canada, where she studied both cello and classical guitar. She later relocated to Germany and chose to specialize as a classical guitarist, earning a German Diplom in Artistic Solo Performance and a Master of Music (Honours) from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart under Prof. Johannes Monno, followed by a postgraduate degree from the Mozarteum University in Salzburg under Prof. Laura Young. Further studies include masterclasses with world-renowned artists such as Roland Dyens, Sergio and Odair Assad, Pepe Romero, Aniello Desiderio, Margarita Escarpa, Leila Schayegh, and Pavel Steidl.
Katie has performed extensively with ensembles across Europe and North America, actively pursuing a vibrant performing career. As a founding member of the Salzburg Guitar Trio, she has won first prizes at numerous major international competitions, most notably being the Guitar Foundation of America’s (GFA) International Ensemble Competition. The trio was the first ensemble to be awarded a GFA Artist Tour, performing and giving masterclasses across the USA and Canada in 2023. Their performances have been broadcast on television, online livestreams, and radio, and can be heard on their debut album, III.
Katie’s solo awards include first prize at the Canadian Music Competition, second prize at the Tallinn International Guitar Competition, and third prize at the Sarajevo International Guitar Festival Competition. Her performances have been featured live on Catalan television as well as from Kadriorg Palace on Estonian national radio (ERR). She has been awarded grants from the Deutsche Musikrat, the Canadian Arts Council, Klangspektrum Baden-Württemberg, and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and is an alumna of Yehudi Menuhin’s Live Music Now scholarship program.
Katie has served on jury panels for international classical guitar competitions across Europe as well as Jugend Musiziert in Germany, and has given public masterclasses throughout the USA, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Germany. She actively arranges works for the Salzburg Guitar Trio, her various other chamber ensembles, and her youth guitar ensemble. Her musical versatility extends beyond classical music; she is a former cellist of the Berlin-based experimental crossover ensemble Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra and is featured on The Devil, You + Me, an album by the indie band The Notwist.
Katie currently serves as a lecturer at the School for Music and Art in Böblingen, Germany.