By Tabitha Brasso-Ernst (Brand Engagement & Communications Coordinator) for Bachstage Pass
Trumpet player Katherine Evans has become an undeniable force in Vancouver’s orchestral world—equally at home in the opera pit, on symphonic programs, and in smaller chamber settings. Ahead of her appearances with the Vancouver Bach Choir in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at St. Andrew’s-Wesley and Christmas With the Bach Choir at the Orpheum, Evans approaches the season with her usual mix of practicality, humour, and quiet precision.
Early Influences & A Childhood Full of Sound
Evans grew up outside Boston in a home where music wasn’t an extracurricular—it was simply part of the fabric. The trumpet entered her life almost by accident on a family trip to Japan, when her parents bought one “on speculation” that she might enjoy it. She did. Her older sister taught her a scale, and the rest unfolded naturally.
“Music was a huge part of my childhood… and the trumpet just became something I did and kept doing.”
There was no dramatic moment of clarity—just accumulation, consistency, and an emerging sense that music would be the field where she’d do “a lot of different things.”
Valerie Whitney, Katherine Evans, and Jeremy Berkman. Photo courtesy of Katherine Evans and Rei Ikeda.
From Harvard to the Trumpet: Words, Text, and Musical Thinking
Before fully committing to trumpet performance, Evans completed an English Literature degree at Harvard—an academic path that still shapes her approach today. Music with text has always resonated most instinctively, especially repertoire like Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
She describes responding not only to musical phrasing, but to language itself: the rhythm of syllables, the internal pacing of a line, the meaning behind each movement.
“With something like the Christmas Oratorio, I’m always playing to the text… I want to play as though I’m singing.”
Even trumpet articulation becomes linguistic, sometimes modeled after consonants—a subtle merging of her two disciplines.
Technical Discipline, Reframed
Trumpet training is often described as rigorous and unforgiving. Evans’ path looked different. As a child, she mostly just played songs; the standard technical exercises arrived later. When she returned to them as an adult, something clicked.
Warm-ups became less about grind and more about grounding.
“These basic exercises are meditation for me… all the breathing, all the sound—it’s the same skills as yoga.”
Katherine Evans and Jonathan Girard in Brazil. Photo courtesy of Katherine Evans and Venícius Angeli.
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio: Joy, Exposure, and the Reality of the Trumpet
The Christmas Oratorio famously opens with radiant, high-stakes trumpet writing—music that is both celebratory and brutally exposed. Evans doesn’t romanticize it.
She acknowledges the mix of exhilaration and nerves, but keeps the priority simple.
“It’s joyful and exposed and terrifying… but if I play with joy, then I play beautifully.”
It’s an honesty shaped by experience, not dramatics.
Navigating Two Acoustic Worlds
Performing at St. Andrew’s-Wesley and the Orpheum in the same weekend means adapting to two very different acoustic spaces. Evans approaches this not through elaborate strategy, but through responsiveness.
She listens first—adjusting colour, length, and blend based on what comes back to her and what her colleagues are doing. For her, it’s a chamber-music mindset, regardless of scale.
“You fit your sound into the context around you—brighter, darker, longer, shorter—whatever works with the people you’re playing with.”
It’s less about the building and more about the ensemble.
Photo courtesy of Katherine Evans and Rei Ikeda.
Small Ensembles & The Vulnerability Factor
Whether playing solo, in duo with organ, or in a small chamber configuration, Evans describes trumpet playing as inherently exposed. The difference between formats is more about the type of flexibility available rather than the level of vulnerability.
“Trumpet is exposed anyway… someone is always listening. Chamber playing just lets you respond a little differently.”
That responsiveness is where she feels the freedom.
Holiday Traditions & Joining Christmas With the Bach Choir
Evans is excited to be joining Christmas With the Bach Choir this year. She grew up with these seasonal songs—they’ve always been part of her own holiday rhythm—and she especially loves when audiences sing along.
“I grew up with these songs… they’re part of my holiday season. And if the audience sings, I’m totally down for that.”
It’s the kind of communal energy she values most in December performances.
A Musician Defined by Clarity, Craft, and Consistency
Throughout her career, Evans has built a reputation through steady work, thoughtful artistry, and a grounded sense of musical responsibility. As she anchors two of the Bach Choir’s most beloved programs this December, her presence offers exactly what the season calls for: clarity of sound, awareness of text, and an approach rooted in both skill and sincerity.
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
December 6th, 7:30pm at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church (1020 Nelson Street). Tickets HERE
Christmas With the Bach Choir
December 7th, 2:00pm at the Orpheum (601 Smithe Street). Tickets HERE