Flutist Kathryn Cernauskas has made Canadian music a focus of her performing, publishing and recording activities.
While also playing traditional and international repertoire in solo recitals, concertos and chamber music concerts in North America, Europe and Asia, she has made a point of programming Canadian music whenever possible. Some notable recent performances include concerts of Canadian music for SOCAN's New Music in New Places initiative at Vancouver International Airport (with John Oliver), Calona Wineries in Kelowna, BC and the Vancouver Aquarium (with Heather Pawsey, soprano and Karen Shumka, piano). Internationally, she has been invited to present concerts of Canadian solo flute music by such organizations as the Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik in Switzerland and Liechtenstein (including a broadcast by Swiss Radio) and the Institut Seni Lukis Malaysia. As a soloist and also as a member of such ensembles as the Vancouver New Music Ensemble and a founding member of Array, Days Months & Years To Come and Magnetic Band, she has premiered well over 100 Canadian compositions, including many pieces written especially for her.
In the realm of publishing, Kathryn Cernauskas has compiled a progressive anthology of Canadian flute music suitable for students under the title The Magical Flute. The anthology is in three volumes, each with a CD. In addition to pieces by Canadian composers it contains a study guide for each piece and original etudes by Kathryn Cernauskas to introduce the student to contemporary techniques. Currently she is editing and digitally engraving selected compositions by Barbara Pentland for the Canadian Music Centre. Previous publications include Student's Guide to the Flute published by GLC Publishers Inc. and Guidelist of Unaccompanied Flute Music by Canadian Composers (available through the Canadian Music Centre). In October 2005 she took over ownership of The Avondale Press, a music publishing company specializing in the music of Canadian composers and recorder music of all eras.
In addition to the three CDs of Canadian music included with The Magical Flute, Kathryn Cernauskas has also released an independent CD titled Canadian music for solo flute and appears on the CBC Ovation series as well as two Vancouver New Music CDs: West Light on Centrediscs and Tree Line on the CBC Musica Viva label.
While maintaining an active career as a performer, teacher and adjudicator, she has also served as Coordinator of Music at Douglas College and Chair of the Canadian Music Centre (BC region).
Kathryn studied at the University of Toronto, the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, as well as in master classes and private study with most of the great flutists of our time.