Getting to Know You: Kate Randazzo

Kate Randazzo has been playing music and singing her entire life.  “The rule in my family is that everyone plays piano until age 18, no exceptions”, she explains.  The Marion, Ohio native grew up performing at home, at church, at school, and in community theater productions.  Her parents and younger brother all play instruments and sing.  And members of her large extended family never get together without each bringing a musical instrument to play.  The group also does Christmas caroling annually.

Kate became a member of Ladue Chapel in 2023 and immediately joined its choir.  She also sings in the St. Louis Symphony Choir.  Kate is not the only family member associated with the symphony.   Her husband, Jonathan, is the principal trombonist for the orchestra.

His job brought them to St. Louis and their yearning to be part of a church with a strong liturgical theology in its music led them to Ladue Chapel.  Kate grew up in the Methodist church but got involved at evangelical churches throughout college at Miami University of Ohio.  “Singing at evangelical churches is more like performing at a concert”, she says.  “We really missed the communal singing of hymns that includes everyone in the pews; it’s so inclusive and accessible to everyone.  Singing those historic, old hymns is a huge part of my faith.”  The couple joined Ladue Chapel for its music program initially, but also love its members.  Kate says she really enjoys getting to know women of all ages because it brings a richness to her life that otherwise would not be there.

These days she and Jonathan are singing lullabies to their first child, a son they call CJ (Corrado James).  The young family enjoys walking together by their current home near Tilles Park, but soon will be moving to Webster Groves.
 
Kate’s other job besides being a mom is writing everything from brochures to social media posts for a company that develops software for small banks.  She especially appreciates the flexibility of her job and the lengthy maternity leave she now is enjoying.

She hopes to someday return to her hobby of aerial silks.  It’s an acrobatic and performance art that involves climbing, wrapping, and creating dynamic poses and drops on long strips of fabric suspended from a ceiling.  It’s a full-body discipline that builds strength, flexibility, and coordination while also serving as a creative outlet for artistic expression.  Kate learned this unusual skill at a studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico where Jonathan was performing one recent summer.  Kate finds the artistry and agility of movement that are required for this hobby a welcome challenge.

You can hear Kate sing a solo in church on August 31st.  Enjoy!