Katherine Ciesinski, born October 13, 1950, is an American mezzo-soprano, stage director, and voice professor. She studied at Temple University and the Curtis Institute of Music. In 1974, she won the Gramma Fischer Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Her international recognition grew with first prize wins at the Concours International de Chant de Paris in 1977 and the Geneva International Music Competition in 1976. Her first professional operatic successes came at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in 1976 in La traviata, followed by notable performances at the Spoleto Festival USA in 1978 as Erika in Samuel Barber's Vanessa. She has performed with prestigious opera companies worldwide, including the Metropolitan Opera and Covent Garden. Her discography includes recordings such as Ravel's Chansons madécasses (1975), Gounod's Sapho (1979), Handel's Messiah (1981), Rorem's Women's Voices (1982), and Dukas' Ariane et Barbe-bleue (1983). Her recording of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck with the Houston Symphony won the Grammy Award for Best Opera in 2018.
