Kate Smalley Saulsbury

Kate Smalley Saulsbury is an instructor of voice on the faculty at UNI. A mezzo-soprano and collaborative pianist, she has been teaching and coaching singers and pianists for over twenty-five years. Kate has a broad background in lyric theatre and coach-accompanying, and has performed extensively as a collaborative artist. She recently completed international tours with Morningside University in Europe and South Africa.

For many years, Kate has worked successfully with numerous high school and college students to develop a solid and fundamentally correct vocal technique that allows them to expand their capabilities as artists. While many of Kate’s students have earned recognition and awards at numerous competitions and auditions, the top priority in her studio is to meet each student where they are at, and help them grow as a singer and well-rounded musician. During the initial intake process, personal goals are discussed and a plan is then established to ensure that meaningful progress is made with realistic expectations. For example, the initial goal for one student might be the desire to develop their voice for personal reasons, or perhaps become confident enough to perform a solo in public. For another, the goal may be to build the foundation they will need in order to one day become a professional musician. One goal is no more important than the other.

Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Northern Iowa, Kate worked as a coach-accompanist with Indianapolis Opera until she joined the faculty at Morningside University in 2004 where she taught applied voice, vocal pedagogy, diction, and directed the Lyric Theatre program. During her tenure at Morningside University, she became the founder and artistic director of the Morningside Institute for Performing Artists, a group of dedicated young professionals who performed across the region, and was the executive director for the Leo Kucinski Academy of Music. She also served as the president of both the Iowa Chapter of the National Teacher’s Association of Singing (NATS) and the Lewis and Clark Chapter of NATS. Kate joined the faculty at UNI in 2023 where her father, David Smalley, previously held a position on the voice faculty for thirty-five years and her mother, Joan Smalley, often performed as a collaborative pianist.