Kathryn Henry (BFA 2016, Music) received the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award presented by the UWM Alumni Association at the 2026 Alumni Awards Evening. The awards recognize remarkable standouts who make new waves in the lives of countless people every day.
Currently, Kathryn is preparing for her European debut playing Desdemona in Verdi’s “Otello” at Theater Bonn in Germany. She has already earned a Grammy nomination for Best Opera Recording for her portrayal of Lucy Harker in “The Lord of Cries,” and she has been a finalist in the Paris Opera Competition. She’s performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She’s also appeared as a guest soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and was in the Milwaukee Florentine Opera’s production of Carmen. Henry is represented by IMG Artists.
While a student in 2015, she became the youngest singer to reach the finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In her senior year, Kathryn was chosen to sing the national anthem at the Democratic presidential candidate’s debate between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, which took place on the UWM campus. Her performance, which had no instrumental accompaniment, was broadcast on national television. After graduating with her BFA, Kathryn completed a Master of Music in Vocal Performance as a Toullmin Foundation Scholar at the Julliard School in New York City.
“The fact that Kathryn Henry is working broadly at a national level and beginning to make her mark at an international level in a highly competitive field is notable and reflects well on both her excellent technical training begun at UWM and her hard work and determination,” music department chair Gillian Rodger said.
“The Music Department is hugely proud of her as an alumnus. We also appreciate that Kathryn has continued to maintain a strong and active connection to Milwaukee and to the Midwest, even as she has worked more and more widely at a national and international level.
UWM’s 2026 Alumni Awards Evening was held on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, at the Pfister Hotel. Kathryn accepted the award by video from Germany, where she is currently in rehearsals. Read more about the full list of winners on UWM Report.