Bio

Kathryn Shuman

is an experimental musician, vocal performer excelling in wide varieties of voice sounds and genres, as well as composing and producing her own music. As a singer, she is recognized for her effortless Soprano range, and “striking and clear tone, with excellent attention to detail” (composer/performer Meredith Monk). Shuman is most enthusiastic about interpreting contemporary and experimental music, and improvisation in live performance, but enjoys anything that challenges her to broaden her musical knowledge, and vocal skill set. She is a roster Soprano with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and has performed with Bang On A Can, the LA Philharmonic, Long Beach Opera, Open Gate Opera, The Industry, Synchromy, Jacaranda, Wild Up, Living Earth, and Tonality.

Shuman has performed lead roles in Meredith Monk’s ATLAS;  soloed in Ellen Reid’s premiere of Between Two Oceans with the LA Philharmonic and LA Master Chorale conducted by Gustavo Dudamel; performed in Oliver Leith and Matt Copson’s Last Days with the LA Phil New Music for a US premiere; took on the role of Coyote for Raven Chacon and Du Yun’s Sweetland; and performed as a 2024-2025 resident soprano for Long Beach Opera’s Pauline Oliveros season, with leading roles in each production.

Her unique ability to expertly sing a variety of styles, and morph her sound into highly specific, imitative sounds, make her a sought after film and TV recording artist. Recent film/tv credits include vocals in The Odyssey (2026), Mandolorian and Grogu (2026), Disclosure Day (2026), Superman (2025), Wicked (2024), How to Train Your Dragon (2025), Despicable Me 4 (2024), Thelma the Unicorn (2024), House of Ninjas (2023).

As an active composer, Shuman has scored feature length film, music libraries, and her own original music, which she performed around the globe.

Kathryn’s music explores and features physical spaces including basement gallery spaces, concert halls, and outdoor environments (canyons and bus stops, etc.) One of her current composition projects “Music for Landscapes and Musicians” asks vocalists and instrumentalists to collaborate with outdoor environments creating and responding to echoes. A record she released with collaborator and bass player/composer Ben Finley under Kat & Ben, “Cycles on Cycles” (2018) was described as featuring “musical shifts [that] frequently follow a certain kind of dream logic — simultaneously disorienting and familiar, surreal and natural” by NEXTBOP.

With an interest in migratory birds and their decreasing numbers, Kathryn embarked on bike/music tours following migratory bird paths on the east and west coast. She has created songs featuring field recordings from her trips.

Shuman is an active SAG-AFTRA and AGMA Union member.