Catherine Reid

Winner of the 2021 International Alliance of Women in Music's Score Award

Composer, Orchestrator, and Arranger

  • Nearby, Faraway: A musical about the lives and art of Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Steiglitz, libretto by Neal Herr. Developed through staged readings at the York Theater, The Hyde Collection Art Museum, and American Opera Projects.

  • Holding it All: An Oratorio: A song cycle based on several poems by Bernice Mennis, co-composed with Anthime Miller, each composing 5 pieces on our own and composing two together. The piece is for SATB, cello, piano, woodwinds, and violin. Due to COVID, the performance was filmed at the Strand Theater with a small audience and then presented at a facebook watch party and viewable on my website (above). Holding it All has also been recorded and is soon to be available on CD. This project was funded by LARAC through North Country Arts.

  • The Last Call: An Oratorio: A song cycle based on several poems by Paul Pines which was produced and performed by 8 singers and 5 live musicians(and prerecorded Protools tracks) at the Charles R. Wood Theater. The Last Call has also been recorded and is available on CD. This project was funded by LARAC through North Country Arts.

  • Coming Home: An orchestral overture commissioned and performed by the Glens Falls Symphony, conducted by Charles Peltz, for the Glens Falls Centennial.

  • The Yellow Wallpaper: An opera based on the short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, libretto by Judith C. Lane. Received a full production at Peabody Conservatory of Music and placed fourth at the Opera Vista International Opera Competition. This opera was developed through staged readings at the Actor's Playhouse, and American Opera Projects and was a Moore Opera Competition and Eugene O'Neill Musical Theater Conference finalist.

  • The Cemetery Musical: An original musical with book written by Catherine, Peg Meath, and Laura Roth, with lyrics and music by Catherine. A staged reading was produced at the Charles R. Wood Theater. This was funded by an individual artist grant from LARAC.

  • ABC's One Life to Live: Orchestrated several episodes with composer Elizabeth Swados.

  • The Colossus of Rhodes: A play with music about the rise and fall of Cecil Rhodes, libretto by Carey Perloff. Received a full production at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and at the White Barn Theater in CT. Developed at the Eugene O'Neill Playwriting Conference, New York Theater Workshop, and the Perry Street Theater.

  • The Broken Jug: An opera based on the story by Heinrich von Kleist, libretto by David Ives. Commissioned by American Opera Projects for the Indianapolis Opera Company.

  • A Collection in Concert: A commissioned work based on 11 of the pieces in the permanent collection at the Hyde Collection. Written for chamber orchestra and SATB and performed at the Hyde's Froelich Auditorium.

  • Andrew Wyeth in Music, Dance, Imagery, and Poetry. A multi-media evening of original music, dance, imagery and poetry based on the life and work of Andrew Wyeth commissioned by The Hyde Collection Art Museum. Written for five singers (and one rapper) and performed to fully orchestrated tracks at the Hyde's Froelich Auditorium.

  • Degas; His Love, His Women, His Art: A musical using some original and some found music telling the story of Degas commissioned by The Hyde Collection Art Museum. Written with Laura Roth for four singers and piano and performed at the Hyde's Froelich Auditorium.

  • The Mystic Trumpeter: A work for SATB, brass quintet, organ, synthesizer, piano, and hand bells commissioned by the United Methodist Church of Glens Falls for the Glens Falls Centennial. Based on the poem of the same name by Walt Whitman.

  • Capablanca: A mini-musical about chess pieces coming to life. Libretto by Anthony Giles. Commissioned by Joseph Papp of the New York Shakespeare Festival.

  • Reasonable Kingdom: A children's audio book with music, words by Neal Herr. Produced as a touring musical by the Glens Falls Community Theater.

  • Antigone: An opera based on the myth, libretto by Alexa Junge. NYU thesis.

Music Director and Pianist

  • Classic Stage Company, NYC: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Brecht, directed by Carey Perloff and starring John Turturro and David Patrick Kelly.

  • The Dramatists Guild, NYC: Partners in Crime, Wild Dada Ducks, and Spring's Awakening for panels including Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Peter Stone, Martin Charnin, Tom Jones, and Gretchen Cryer.

  • Metropolitan Opera Company: Pianist for Romulus Hunt, a children's opera written by Carly Simon.

  • Cabaret Central: Music director and pianist for a weekly radio program at WAMC in Albany with Laura Roth.

  • Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center: Pianist for Parky by Carmino Ravosa

  • Wild Women Productions: Cradle To Crone, Wild Women Blues, Wild Women Swing, Wild Women, Soul, Two Mrs. One Hit: Original theatrical cabarets developed and performed in many venues in the Saratoga and NYC region.

Grants and Scholarships

  • Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council Decentralization NYSCA Grant (4),

  • New York Foundation of the Arts grant through BOCES,

  • Helping Hands Grant from American Opera Projects,

  • Warren County Arts Initiative,

  • Meet the Composer,

  • Harburg Foundation,

  • Musical Theater Project

  • Helbein, Yip Harburg and Tisch scholarships,

  • Trouper award

Teacher

  • Lake George School District: Choral instructor for junior and senior high choruses and select ensembles, sound design and recording, theory, composition, music history, creating original music theater and cabaret. 1999

  • Metropolitan Opera Education Program: Resident artist teaching all elements of original opera creation to elementary and junior high students at many public schools in the NYC region. 1992-1996

  • Dalton School, NYC: Faculty member, resident music director, and composer for junior high students. Introduced and developed original musical theater creation program and taught computer music. 1990-1996

  • Capital Region Center for Arts in Education at SUNY and Capital Rep: Teaching artist, preparing students in several elementary capital region schools for live theater and chamber music performances. 1996-1999

  • Broadway Theater Institute: Teaching artist for a pilot exchange program between the Dalton School and Newcomb Public School of East Harlem. Guided junior high students to create, produce, and perform original musicals together. 1993-1995

Education

  • Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theater Composition from NYU

  • Bachelor of Music in Composition from Boston University SFA

  • Hartt College of Music

  • Oxford University in England

  • BMI Workshop for Composers and Lyricists / New Dramatists Composer/Librettist Studio

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Neal Herr