Meet Katarzyna (Kat) Honsberger | Opera singer, business owner, and Artistic Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katarzyna (Kat) Honsberger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katarzyna (Kat), can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in beautiful Krakow, Poland. Both of my parents are musicians. My mother is a pianist and my father is an opera singer. I started my music education when I was 5 years old and attended Music Elementary School and Music High School where my major was piano performance. I also attended a ballet school for about 8 years during my childhood, Music was in my home since I was born. We frequently played and sung together as a family at our home. Our Christmas time was especially very musical. Polish Christmas songs are absolutely beautiful and we loved making music together.

I remember attending concerts since I was very young and I absolute loved singing! We have a family joke that when I was born and my mom held me for the first time the nurse handed me to her and said “here is your opera singer”. As you see it was destined for me to sing! In all honesty, I absolutely loved watching my father perform in the opera. I loved the costumes, the power of the music, and the smell of the theatre. This is why my whole musical journey changed during the last year in high school when I decided that singing would be my future instead of being a concert pianist.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My story in America began when I graduated high school in Poland and came to America over summer to visit my family. I had amazing vacation that year, I visited many States including Arizona that I fell in love with. When my vacation was almost over I was asked to sing and play piano for one of the family gatherings and one of the guests was so moved by my performance that he contacted the Dean of Roosevelt University’s School of Music.

I was invited to audition for Roosevelt immediately, just 3 days before my return to Poland. I remember very well how excited I was walking up the gorgeous stairwell at Roosevelt University and entering Ganz Hall for my audition. In my audition I sang and performed on the piano; my life changed on the spot when they immediately offered me a place at the school and a scholarship.

I returned to Poland and applied for my student visa. Right after Christmas 2000 I arrived in cold and snowy Chicago with two suitcases packed with my whole life. I had tears of happiness in my eyes, but also fear of the unknown.
The four and a half years ant Roosevelt are full of stories that maybe one day I will write a book about. During the time of being a full time student I was also teaching piano, two children’s choirs and two folk music groups. That’s where my love for teaching began. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance I decided to pursue a Master’s Degree at DePaul University. That’s where I met my husband Brian who is also a musician.

During my time at DePaul I had so many incredible opportunities to perform.
Thanks to my musical background from Poland I had a very strong start in America but the most wonderful opportunities presented themselves when I was working on my Masters Degree. I had solo opportunities, my first major roles in full operatic productions, multiple competitions, solo concerts with orchestras, recordings and more.

When Brian and I got engaged and we visited his parents in Arizona and knew immediately that we wanted to live there. At that point, I had dreamed of starting my own Music and Dance school for years. After teaching children and adults during my college years I saw how much good-quality music education is needed, especially for children.

We moved to Arizona after I graduated with my Master’s and opened our music school just a few years later. At the same time, I was performing with Phoenix Opera, we had our first daughter, and my husband played for The Phoenix Symphony and worked for multiple theaters as a Sound Designer.

This is how our journey of starting our own businesses begin, now fast forward 16 years:
We have Kat’s Artist Tree Music, Dance and Arts Academy
Kat’s Classical Ballet School
Up2Productions Company
Triad Performing Arts of Arizona 501c3 theatre company
Honsberger Holdings LLc
As I said before with hard work and dedication everything is possible but it’s definitely not easy,
We are so dedicated and focused on the best quality of whatever we do in all of our businesses. My passion is teaching children and adults and I know that the success here comes from giving your best to them, our children deserve it!! This is why we hire the best instructors who have the same mindset as we do. I am so proud of everything that we created in all those years but I am driven to do even more. You should never stop dreaming, and both Brian and I never stop.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many amazing places to visit in Arizona but here are a couple that I would highly recommend:

Any Triad Performing Arts Shows
The MIM, Musical Instrument Museum
Phoenix Symphony
Fountain Hills Copperwynd Resort
Brunch at Wrigley Mansion
Botanical gardens
Sedona
Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe bend
Prescott downtown

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that had an impact on my success. The first very important person in my life, that shaped who I am today is definitely my grandma who tough me that serving others and never giving up will always pay off.

My parents and amazing instructors in my music school who taught me that with hard work and dedication everything is possible.

My amazing, hard working Husband who has been with me through the entire journey of starting our businesses. He has been always so encouraging and supporting since we met 17 years ago.

Website: www.katsartisttree.com

Instagram: @katsartisttree

Facebook: Facebook.com/katsartisttree

Other: www.triadaz.org