Kate Tombaugh, Executive Director

Mezzo-Soprano Kate Tombaugh, originally from Streator, Illinois, has sung professionally across the United States. She trained as a young artist with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, and Utah Opera. Additionally, she was a Stern Fellow with the LA-based ‘Songfest’ and sang in the AIMS Opera Studio in Graz, Austria. She was a two-time 3rd place winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions’ Central Regional Finals and recently won first place in the 10th annual Mildred C. Miller International Vocal Competition, all-mezzo edition, hosted by the Pittsburgh Festival Opera.

Her roles have spanned the title roles in Rossini’s La Cenerentola and L’italiana in Algeri, Handel’s Ariodante, and Massenet’s Cendrillon, ‘Hansel’ in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, ‘Annie Oakley’ in Irving Berlin’s Annie, Get Your Gun, ‘ Carrie Pipperidge’ in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, and ‘Mad Margaret’ in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore.

She holds a masters in opera performance from CCM, the music conservatory at the University of Cincinnati, and dual undergraduate degrees in English Literature and Vocal Performance from Illinois Wesleyan University.

2024-2025 Poco a Poco Board of Directors

  • Kevin Mangan

    Board President

  • Michele Piel

    Vice President

  • Jenny Suydam

    Secretary

  • Marty Payne

    Treasurer

  • Bob Mangialardi

    Board Member

  • Barb Ehling

    Board Member

  • Matthew Tombaugh

    Board Member

  • Ellen Yedinak

    Board Member

  • Terri McTaggart

    Board Member

2024 Poco Faculty

  • Madison Rose

    Administrative Assistant

  • Rachel Westerlund

    Admin/Marketing Manager

  • Shelby Taylor-Schroeder

    Childcare & Guest Lecturer

2024 Poco Faculty & Jr. Faculty

  • Mary Bond

    Faculty

  • Ingrid Kammin

    Faculty

  • Kevin Mangan

    Faculty

  • Robert Mangialardi

    Faculty

  • Emily Schaumberg

    Faculty

  • Ascher Taylor-Schroeder

    Faculty

  • Kathy Tombaugh

    Faculty

  • Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

    Faculty

  • Ellen Yedinak

    Faculty

  • Anya Liu

    Jr. Faculty

  • Nathaniel Harcar

    Jr. Faculty

Past Board Members

Jean Drendel

Terri McTaggart

Kevin Mangan

Gavin Finefield

Katie Swanson

Cara Luckey Reynolds