Katherine Ardo-Grote

Katherine Ardo passed away on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta at the age of 81 years. She was respected as a classical singer, vocal coach and voice teacher after her career as a dramatic soprano. An esteemed friend to many and well regarded by the musical community, Katherine left an indelible impression on countless people who worked with her or met her on a variety of occasions.

Katherine was born in Budapest, Hungary, protected by her parents and grandmother during this most difficult and dangerous time before the end of the war in Budapest. Her father was killed in an accident on a bridge crossing the Danube shortly after the end of the war during the Russian occupation.

In 1948, her remaining family were fortunate to immigrate to Canada. They settled in Montreal, Quebec where Katherine grew up. After high school, she began her musical studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and continued at the University of Toronto. In 1967, she received a Canada Council grant which allowed her to travel and pursue further training in Berlin, Germany. There she performed with the Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall in a program fostering young, talented artists. Later she also sang in a recital which was broadcasted by the Berlin Radio station SFB.

While living in Berlin, she travelled several times to Budapest to participate at the Bela Bartok Voice Seminar. She was consistently one of the participants selected to perform in the concluding public concerts.

Before returning to Canada, she married Manfred Grote in Berlin. While they were living in Montreal, Katherine was invited to sing on various occasions in Canada. She attended opera workshops at the Banff Centre for the Arts and performed in their productions.

Following a recommendation from the Banff Centre, Katherine was offered the position of voice instructor at the Music Department of the new Red Deer College. She remained there and taught fulltime for 3 years. After the completion of her term, she founded the Canadian Voice Foundation with the support of the College. They held the first Symposium, “Care of the Professional Voice” in 1990 at the Red Deer College. Katherine was the Director of the Canadian Voice Care Foundation and chairperson of their international Symposia.

One of the events was in Toronto but most of them were held at the Banff Centre with participants from Canada, USA, the UK, France, Germany and Sweden. Katherine continued to attend the annual Conferences of the American Voice Foundation. In the music room of her home she maintained her teaching sessions, focusing on breathing and vocal technique.

Katherine taught a course for the Department of Continuing Education of the University of Calgary called Vocal Fitness. It ran over multiple years, designed for a wide range of people who had to maintain a clear speaking voice for working in their professions.

Covid brought an end to this course and Katherine had to stop her in-person teaching. But she continued to work with several students by giving them lessons over Zoom with a large TV screen set up at the piano. Katherine missed the direct personal contact as did her students. But both sides adapted to the new format. It allowed them to maintain the vocal exercises and their musical collaboration.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Foster’s Garden Chapel, 3220 – 4 Street N.W., Calgary (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

The Celebration of Life will be livestreamed for those wishing to attend virtually. Please click the link in the services area below the obituary.