Free the VoiceUnleash the Artist
In 25 years of teaching, I've learned that the greatest obstacle standing between an artist and their potential is rarely talent. It's fear. Grief. Perfectionism. The stories we've been taught to believe about ourselves. My work helps artists build healthy technique, move through those barriers, free their authentic voice, and bring their love of singing into everything they do as they become the fullest expression of who they are.
Photo by Josh Silk
Where you'll find me
Broadway
Film & TV
Recording Studios
Masterclasses & Workshops
An Invitation
If you're looking for someone to teach you how to sing, there are many wonderful teachers who can do that.
But if you're looking for someone to help you remember your why...
To reconnect with your voice, your artistry, and your love for what you do...
To prepare for the role that both excites and terrifies you, and walk beside you from your first pre-rehearsal through your final performance...
To choose songs that feel like they were written for you, prepare auditions with courage and creativity, and book the work that's truly meant for you...
To navigate this industry with wisdom, make career decisions from confidence instead of fear, and build a career that's authentic, sustainable, and deeply fulfilling...
To work through vocal injuries, self-doubt, performance anxiety, or the moments when you wonder if you're enough...
To challenge you, support you, celebrate your victories, sit with you in your struggles, and always tell you the truth with compassion...
To help you accomplish what once felt impossible...
Then I'd be honored to walk that journey with you.
The most powerful artists aren’t trying to become someone else.They’re the ones who dare to become fully themselves.
Credentials
25+ years
Private voice and performance coaching for artists at every stage of their careers, from emerging talent to Tony Award winners and Oscar nominees, supporting Broadway performers, recording artists, television and film actors, and productions of every scale.
Broadway performer
Originated the role of Song Woman in the five-time Tony Award-winning Broadway production of War Horse at Lincoln Center.
Recording Artist & Composer
Released six original albums, including three as Katy Pfaffl, one as Mighty Kate, and two as Daughter & Son. Co-composer of the original musicals The Colors of Love and Subway Train, winner of Best Film Score for Stargazer, commissioned to compose for the United Nations Global Women Diplomats, and composer of the anthem for the opening of Chase Center in San Francisco.
60+ shows
Coached performers from more than 60 Broadway productions and national tours, including The Rocky Horror Show, Hamilton, Wicked, The Outsiders, Hadestown, The Lion King, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Book of Mormon, Aladdin, SIX, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Chicago, Death Becomes Her, Merrily We Roll Along, Company, BOOP! The Musical, Mean Girls, Frozen, Waitress, and many more.
Theater Music Director & Arranger
Music Director for the original musicals The Colors of Love and Subway Train at the New York International Fringe Festival, Co-Music Director and Arranger for The Village of Vale with Lincoln Center Education, and Music Director for Broadway for Arts Education (BAE) galas and special events throughout New York City.
Juilliard · CCM · Broadway Dance Center
Led international musical theatre summer programs at Juilliard, created and directed an original multimedia performance exploring grief with students at CCM, and developed and taught the vocal curriculum for Broadway Dance Center's Professional Semester, preparing emerging artists for the demands of the professional industry.
WSU, UC Irvine, Middlebury, CU Boulder
Customized one-day masterclasses, multi-day workshops and intensives, audition coaching, group technique classes, performance coaching, and university residencies tailored to the needs of each institution and its students.
Turkey · China · Japan · India · South Africa · Italy · Haiti · Morocco
Designed and led masterclasses, conservatory training, university workshops, and humanitarian arts programs around the world. From training the next generation of musical theatre educators in Turkey, teaching at Japan's renowned Shiki Theatre Company, and serving as Voice Faculty at Italy's Trentino Music Festival, to using the arts to support communities recovering from natural disasters in Japan, empowering children living with HIV in South Africa, and bringing music education to children from India's most underserved communities.
Cofounder / Board President
Broadway for Arts Education (BAE), bringing transformative arts experiences to underserved youth in New York, India, Haiti, the Galápagos Islands, and Morocco.
Cofounder / Co-CEO
Co-leading an immersive audio-theatrical production company that blends storytelling, original music, voice, and cutting-edge technology to create unforgettable experiences for stage, screen, and beyond.
In the words of my students
“Katy is such a wonderful teacher and friend. She also has the keen ability to fix your biggest trouble spots with the slightest of adjustments. She's magic!”
Kelli Barrett
TV: Fosse/Verdon, Younger, The Punisher. Broadway: Beaches, Parade, Dr. Zhivago, Wicked, The Royal Family.
Ways to Work Together
Private Voice & Performance Coaching
Technique, auditions, role preparation, vocal recovery, and ongoing artistic development.
Career Strategy, Audition Repertoire & Confidence
Career guidance, audition material selection, nerves and confidence building, and preparation for the opportunities that matter most.
Masterclasses, Workshops & Residencies
Customized training for universities, conservatories, professional programs, and organizations.
TV, Film & Production Coaching
On-set, studio, rehearsal, and production support for actors, recording artists, and creative teams.
Behind the scenes
