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 THE GREAT KAT BIOGRAPHY

THE GREAT KAT AWARDS AND ACCOLADES:

-Juilliard Graduate Violin Virtuoso

-Concertmaster of the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra

-Winner of the Artists International Competition on Violin

-Carnegie Recital Hall Debut on Solo Violin

-"The New Woman To Watch" - New Woman Magazine

- "Certificate of Merit" from New York Governor Mario Cuomo

-"Top 10 Fastest Shredders Of All Time" - Guitar One Magazine

-"20 Of The Fastest Guitarists In The World Today" - MusicRadar.com
-"50 Fastest Guitarists Of All Time" - Guitar World Magazine

-"The 100 Wildest Guitar Heroes" - Classic Rock Magazine

-Winner of "Who Plays The Fastest" - Guitar Player Magazine’s Reader Poll

-"10 Phenomenal Female Guitarists That Deserve Your Attention" - WhatCulture!

-"Top 10 Shred Guitar Heroes" - Bopian.com (China)

-#1 In "The 12 Best Guitarists Of The World" - Guitarra Atalho

-"Fastest Guitar Players In The World" - Graphs.net

-"The 13 Most Powerful 'O' Faces Of Rock" - BuzzFeed
-"The 25 Best Rock Guitarists In The World" - Maximum Rock Magazine
-"Top 8 Female Electric Guitarists Of All Time" - NME

-"The Best Rock Female Guitarists"  - Kurier

-"Top-10 Fastest Guitarists Of All Time" - Guitar World Magazine's Readers' Poll

-"12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists" - Elle Magazine

-"8 Of The World's Fastest Shredders" - Gibson Lifestyle

-"20 Extraordinary Female Guitarists" - Guitar Player Magazine's "Guts & Glitter"

- Honored with a STAR in the "Guitar Hero Galaxy" - Spin Magazine

-"Ten Women Composers and Guitarists In The Last 20 Years" by Agencia N22 Informacion Cultural (Mexico)

-"Famous Juilliard School Alumni" - Ranker.com

 

 

"HABANERA" - HOT GYPSY VIOLIN RECORDING of KATHERINE THOMAS (THE GREAT KAT) performance of SARASATE'S "CARMEN FANTASY" from BIZET'S OPERA "CARMEN"! http://youtu.be/jiC6B_LPFyU

 TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO CADENZA - RARE CLASSICAL VIOLIN RECORDING of KATHERINE THOMAS (THE GREAT KAT) Virtuoso Performance of TCHAIKOVSKY http://youtu.be/L7xQ1_tiTQo

 

The Great Kat & Niccolo Paganini - HISTORY'S ONLY Violin/Guitar Virtuosos performing BOTH Guitar AND Violin with INHUMAN Feats of VIRTUOSITY!!

THE GREAT KAT, REINCARNATION of BEETHOVEN, Shred Guitar Virtuoso, Musical Revolutionary, Inventor of "Shred/Classical" Music - Bringing Classical Music to the Masses and RESURRECTOR of CLASSICAL MUSIC!

 

The Great Kat was born Katherine Thomas in Swindon, England (on a U.S. Air Force Base Military Hospital) and moved to the U.S at the age of 3.  After listening to Beethoven since birth, The Great Kat realized that her mission was to become a composer and musical revolutionary.  Kat began Classical piano studies at 7.  At the age of 9, she began Classical violin studies in New York.

At the age of 15, The Great Kat won a Full Scholarship to attend the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City as a Violin Student.  The Great Kat became the Concertmaster of the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra and won the "Robert Hufstader Scholarship" in Composition and Theory at Juilliard. The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) performed for NYC Mayor Ed Koch at Gracie Mansion as a Prodigy Violin Soloist. The Great Kat graduated with Honors from The Juilliard School and began performing, first as a Classical violin soloist at Carnegie Recital Hall as winner of the exclusive "Artists International Competition" and then soloing extensively in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe. The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) is also the winner of numerous competitions, including Gallery Concert Series Young Artists Award, the New York State Music Teachers Association Collegiate Artists Competition, the Great Neck Symphony's Young Musicians Competition and named "The New Woman To Watch" for two consecutive years by New Woman Magazine. The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) performed as a violin soloist on the Young Artists Showcase on WQXR radio and is the recipient of a German violin made in 1850 from The Friends of Mozart Society. The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) performed as a violin soloist at Alice Tully Hall on The Juilliard School's "Wednesday One O'Clock Concert Series."

 

New York Governor Mario Cuomo awarded The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) the Certificate of Merit as "Recipient of the Palma Julia de Burgos Award in recognition of her outstanding musical achievements".   This certificate has the Seal of the State of New York and Governor Cuomo's signature. Katherine Thomas is the winner of the cultural award "Palma Julia de Burgos Award" from The Association for Puerto Rican - Hispanic Culture, Inc.

 

The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) performed as a Prodigy Violin Soloist for Governor Oscar Flores Tapia in Coahuila, Mexico at the Centennial of General Vito Alessio Robles’ birth and at the famous Teatro Fernando Soler as a Prodigy Violin Soloist in Saltillo, Mexico. The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) has toured as a guest violin soloist with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Coahuila in Mexico and in recitals under the auspices of Fondo para Actividades Sociales y Culturales del Estado, Bellas Artes, Banca Serfin and other organizations in Mexico. The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) performed as a violin soloist at the United Nations Association of the United States of America (Mid-Long Island Chapter). The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) performed numerous times as a violin soloist on The Joe Franklin Show and appeared in the Warner Brothers Movie "Soup For One".  The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) appeared on NBC-TV's "Fantasy" Show (Hosts Peter Marshall and Leslie Uggams) performing violin as the featured soloist.  Steve Allen, the comedian and composer, especially composed a jazz piece, "Sonatina", for Katherine Thomas (The Great Kat). Katherine performed the World Premiere of the work as a Violin Soloist at the Thamesdown-Hambro festival in Swindon, England. The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) performed as a violin soloist on The Ray Heatherton Radio Show, who bestowed the title "The Little Paganini" on Katherine.

Timothy Leary, famous Harvard psychology professor and mind-altering guru collaborated with Kat Thomas - The Great Kat violin virtuoso on the rock song "Right Brain Lover". Timothy Leary wrote the wild psychedelic lyrics and Kat composed the music. Timothy Leary and Kat recorded "Right Brain Lover" starring Kat's electric violin virtuosity and rock singing and Leary rapping the lyrics with his inimitable voice. Stay tuned to hear this HISTORIC masterpiece.
 

After touring the world, The Great Kat realized that Classical music was dead, so she began updating Classical Music with Speed Metal and transcribed intricate violin solos to the guitar. Kat developed a new genre of music: “SHRED/CLASSICAL” Music  -- Fast, Furious, and Virtuosic. 

 

The Great Kat Shred Guitar Virtuoso is the only musician taking note-for-note authentic Classical Music scores (from Vivaldi, Beethoven, Bach, Wagner, Liszt, Paganini, Sarasate, Bazzini, Rossini and more) and entering the original Classical Music scores into music-notation software. The Great Kat then edits, arranges, and orchestrates the entire scores with Shred Guitar and Violin virtuosity and mixes it with Speed Metal band and Classical orchestra.  The Great Kat’s music is known worldwide for its phenomenal speeds, complicated Classical motives, counterpoint layering, guitar riffs, maniacal screams, heavy rhythms and thrashing sounds.   Known as the “High Priestess of Guitar Shred,” The Great Kat was recently the WINNER of "Who Plays The Fastest" by Guitar Player Magazine’s Reader Poll and awarded #1 In "The 12 Best Guitarists Of The World" by Guitarra Atalho, "Top 10 Shred Guitar Heroes" by Bopian.com (China), "The 25 Best Rock Guitarists In The World" by Maximum Rock Magazine, "10 Phenomenal Female Guitarists That Deserve Your Attention In 2013" by WhatCulture!,  "Famous Juilliard School Alumni" by Ranker.com, Top 10 "Fastest Guitar Players In The World" by Graphs.net, "20 Of The Fastest Guitarists In The World Today" by MusicRadar.com, "50 Fastest Guitarists Of All Time," by Guitar World Magazine, "Top 10 Fastest Shredders Of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine, "The 13 Most Powerful 'O' Faces Of Rock" by BuzzFeed, "The 100 Wildest Guitar Heroes" by Classic Rock Magazine, "Top 8 Female Electric Guitarists Of All Time" by NME, "Top-10 Fastest Guitarists Of All Time" by Guitar World Magazine's Readers' Poll, "12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists" by Elle Magazine, "8 Of The World's Fastest Shredders" by Gibson Lifestyle, "20 Extraordinary Female Guitarists" by  Guitar Player Magazine's "Guts & Glitter" and "Ten Women Composers and Guitarists In The Last 20 Years" by Agencia N22 Informacion Cultural (Mexico).

 

The Great Kat's NEO-CLASSICAL MUSIC is continuing to spread to all aspects of entertainment with TESCO, the world’s second largest retailer (after Wal-Mart) and U.K.’s largest retailer, featuring The Great Kat’s Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" music in the new TV commercial for the wildly popular Activision video game "CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS".  Rhapsody Shred Radio is featuring The Great Kat's "virtuoso fretwork" ShredClassical Music.  The Great Kat’s Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody #2” is featured in the comedy film “COMING ATTRACTIONS”. The Great Kat recently captivated audiences and performed on NBC TV's “WEEKEND TODAY IN NY” as The “World's Fastest Female Guitarist” on the virtuoso showpieces “The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee” and Liszt's “Hungarian Rhapsody #2”. The Great Kat has also appeared on TV on Entertainment Tonight, CyberLife TV Show on the Discovery Channel, Good Day New York, Live with Regis, The Joan Rivers Show, The Maury Povich Show and has been featured on Sirius XM Liquid Metal, CNN’s Measure To Measure, National Public Radio and more. “BLENDER.COM VIDEOS” features the entire music video of The Great Kat's “The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee”. YouTube just launched "YOUTUBE - THE GREAT KAT" Channel, featuring tons of insane guitar shred Great Kat Music Videos and TV Shows: "Metal Messiah", "Beethoven Mosh", Paganini's "Caprice #24", "The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee", "Good Day New York", "The Morton Downey Jr. Show" & much more.

 

The Great Kat's "BEETHOVEN'S GUITAR SHRED" DVD features Shred/Classical Music Videos of the famous "The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee" (performed by Kat at 300 BPM!), Paganini's insanely technical "Caprice #24" (for guitar and violin), Beethoven's "5th Symphony" and Bach's Baroque Masterpiece "Brandenburg Concerto #3" for 6 Shred Guitars, 3 Violins, Chamber Orchestra and Metal band, plus original outrageously theatrical SPEED METAL Wagnerian Mini-Operas. The Great Kat's "Beethoven's Guitar Shred" DVD is now featured on LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON ONLINE and MEVIO MUSIC.

 

The Great Kat is recently featured in MyM Magazine's Interview "The Great Kat Is A Force of Nature...One of the Fastest Guitarists Alive", Classical Minnesota Public Radio’s "Interview: The Great Kat, violin-guitar virtuoso and self-styled Beethoven reincarnate”, AXS.com's "Shredding the great composers: an interview with The Great Kat", in the new book "BEETHOVEN IN AMERICA" in the chapter entitled "Beethoven in Popular Music", WQXR Classical Radio in "How Beethoven Became an American Icon", on WENN - The Celebrity World Entertainment News Network’s "Sensation The Great Kat Has Become Known For Her Heavy Metal Take On Classical Music", Uber Rock's "Midnite Mixtape Massacre - The Great Kat", L.A.'s Morning News - News Talk 980, Examiner.com’s "Roll Over Beethoven: The Great Kat's 'Beethoven Shreds' restyles famed composer", Gigwise in "The Naked And Famous: Stars Who Can't Keep Their Clothes On" and Total Guitar Magazine in "Beethoven Symphony No 5 (1^st Movement)". Spin Magazine recently honored The Great Kat with a Star in the "GUITAR HERO GALAXY".

 

SiriusXM Radio's Jay Thomas, of "Mork & Mindy" and "Cheers" fame, interviewed The Great Kat on "THE JAY THOMAS SHOW" Live on SiriusXM. BBC Radio's Rainer Hersch, pianist and entertainer, interviews The Great Kat on "FAST AND FURIOSO" Show on BBC Radio 4. Stay tuned for airing date for The Great Kat Juilliard Grad violin/guitar virtuoso's interview on BBC Radio.

 

The Great Kat is a DOUBLE Virtuoso - Guitar AND Violin - and Great Kat’s unique guitar and violin virtuosity shine on the new "BEETHOVEN SHREDS" CD, which features songs from The Great Kat’s highly-acclaimed, ground-breaking “Beethoven’s Guitar Shred” DVD: “The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee”, Beethoven's “5th Symphony”, Paganini’s “Caprice #24”, Bach's “Brandenburg Concerto #3” and more. “BEETHOVEN SHREDS” CD combines metal and classical music for a speed thrill unchallenged in the music industry.  The Great Kat's "Beethoven Shreds" CD and "Beethoven's Guitar Shred" DVD is now featured on ABC-TV's Take Five & Company TV Show, in the exhibit "AMERICA'S BEETHOVEN EXHIBIT" at The Ira F. Brilliant Center For Beethoven Studies and is chosen by iTunes as the top “New & Noteworthy” Metal Music.

 

Tunes now features The Great Kat's Virtuoso ShredClassical Ringtones (Beethoven, Paganini, Bach, Vivaldi & more for your iPhone), Rossini's "William Tell Overture" Music Video, Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" Music Video, "Beethoven’s Guitar Shred" DVD Music Videos and "Extreme Guitar Shred" DVD Music Videos for download (http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-great-kat/id368743108), "Goddess Shreds Live in Chicago" Single, and Shred/Classical CDs, "Beethoven Shreds", "Wagner’s War", "Rossini’s Rape", "Bloody Vivaldi" & "Guitar Goddess" for download (http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/great-kat/id384709526). The Great Kat DVDs and CDs are now available worldwide through major retail stores, online stores, and at www.greatkat.com.

 

The Great Kat is bringing Shred/Classical Music to the entire world through the use of LIVE and MIDI instruments, computer technology and the Internet on The Great Kat Guitar Shredder Web Site at: http://www.greatkat.com .

 

SHRED/CLASSICAL MUSIC:

Shred Guitar/Symphonic Versions of Beethoven, Wagner, Vivaldi, Paganini, Bach, Rossini, Sarasate, Liszt, Bazzini, Chopin and MORE CLASSICAL GENIUSES! Taking Classical MUSIC SOARING into the 21st Century with SHREDDING Guitars, RAW, VICIOUS metal arrangements, BLISTERING violin virtuosity, INSANE TEMPOS, OUTRAGEOUS Imagery, HIGH-SPEED Thrashing, and the One Of A Kind Personality, Leader, and GENIUS that we all know as "THE GREAT KAT"!!!!

 

 

BEETHOVEN composed the "5th SYMPHONY" in 1804 and NOW The Great Kat SHREDS the "5th SYMPHONY"!!

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