ABOUT

Kate Pass is a bassist and composer based in New York City. Originally hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Kate recently completed her Masters of Music at The New School, NY.

 

Kate has performed at an array of festivals and events in Asia, USA, Europe and Australia with highlights including the Jazz Gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Art, WOMADelaide, Singapore Jazz Festival, Penang Island Jazz Festival, Bern Jazz Festival and Ghent Festival.

 

She currently leads her own groups in NYC, and has recorded with Dave Douglas’ ensemble “Alloy,” Akihito Gorai Group, Alex Glass and Tan Haw.

 

In Australia, Kate recorded 3 albums with her group “Kohesia Ensemble,” which features Iranian and Australian musicians. With Kohesia, Kate received the Australian Broadcasting Commissions Fresh Start Fund, won the West Australian Music Industry’s “Jazz Act of the Year” in 2022 and 2023, Song of The Year in 2022, and the Perth Fringe World Martin Sims Award in 2020. They also toured Australia with the support of Circuit West and the WA Department of Local Government. 

 

Kate has recorded albums with ensembles she composes for, including Artemis Orchestra, Carlton/Macpherson/Pass/Valenti and Turiya. Kate has received grants and scholarships from Edith Cowan University, The New School, the American Australian Association, the Jack Bendat Foundation, Creative Australia and the WA Department of Local Government. 

 

As well as being a performer/composer, Kate is also a passionate educator with 15 years of experience teaching at schools, universities and institutions including at The West Australian Academy of Performing Arts and West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra.

 

Kate is an active as an arts manager and administrator, and cares deeply about the promotion of arts in society. She was the President of the Perth Jazz Society from 2019-2023, co-presented the Lyric Lane Jazz Festival from 2021-2023, was the Quest Manager of Fairbridge Festival and served on the Board of WAYJO for four years. Kate currently works at NY record label, Greenleaf Music.

 

Research is an important aspect of Kate’s work. Her 2013 Honours Thesis (A Transcultural Journey: Integrating Elements of Persian Classical Music with Jazz) led to the formation of Kohesia Ensemble. In 2021, Kate was invited to contribute to the Journal of Intercultural Studies, resulting in the article: From Iran to Australia: Intercultural Encounters in Music. In 2024 she presented on a panel at The Musicological Society of Australia conference, on the topic of practice-based research in Australian Jazz.