Kathleen Mackie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from California State University, Stanislaus, and a Master of Music degree in Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Her composing career began shortly after her introduction to handbells in 1983, when her first composition won the 1984 AGEHR Area XII Composition Contest. Kathleen went on to win three more AGEHR Composition Contests, including the 2008 Area XII Composition Contest. She has also won the Greater Dallas Handbell Association Composition Contest and later, the Livermore/Amador Symphony Orchestral Composition Competition. She has a number of handbell works published, and a piece for Symphonic Band. She has received a number of commissions, including a piece for Handbells and Wind Ensemble, which was premiered by the Golden Gate Handbell ringers and conducted by Donald Allered. She was later invited to serve as Honorary Chair for the Golden Gate Boys Choir’s Old English Christmas Feast held at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. Kathleen has also served as a clinician at the 2007 Spring Ring in Cupertino, as well as at the upcoming 2008 Spring Ring.
Kathleen is an active musician. An alum of the Opus Handbell Ensemble, she is currently a singer in the Valley Concert Chorale and a clarinetist in the Merced College Band. She has served as a church Director of Music for many years, and has taught instrumental music in both private and public schools, and has also directed both handbell and singing choirs. Presently, Kathleen is the Organist at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran church in Merced, CA where she currently resides and maintains a private piano teaching studio
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