Martin Katz

One of the world's busiest collaborative pianists, Martin Katz has been in constant demand by the most celebrated vocal soloists for four decades. In addition to Piotr Beczała, he has appeared internationally and recorded regularly with Marilyn Horne, Frederica von Stade, Karita Mattila, José Carreras, Samuel Ramey, David Daniels, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Cecilia Bartoli, and Kathleen Battle, to name just a few. The Los Angeles native began piano studies at age five. He attended the University of Southern California and studied the field of accompanying with its pioneering teacher, Gwendolyn Koldofsky. While still a student, he accompanied master classes of Lotte Lehmann, Jascha Heifetz, Pierre Bernac, and Gregor Piatigorsky. Katz subsequently served as pianist for the U.S. Army Chorus for three years, before moving to New York, where his busy international career began in earnest in 1969. In recent years, he has added conducting to his schedule, and has led operatic and concert performances for many of his recital partners, as well as fully staged opera productions for the New National Theatre of Tokyo, San Francisco Opera's Merola Program, and at the University of Michigan, his home base. Katz has chaired the University's collaborative piano program for over 30 years, where he was named the first Arthur Schnabel Professor of Music. He has been a pivotal figure in the training of countless young artists, both singers and pianists, who are performing all over the world. His textbook, The Complete Collaborator, published by Oxford University Press, is considered a seminal work on the subject. In addition to his work in Michigan, Katz is a regular guest at The Santa Fe Opera, Songfest, San Francisco Opera, the Sibelius Academy, Chicago College of Performing Arts, and the New National Theatre of Tokyo.

Last updated: February 25, 2018