2027 All-State Junior Band

Katheryn Fenske recently retired after more than 40 years as a distinguished middle and high school band director and music educator. She remains active as a guest conductor, clinician, presenter, and private clarinet teacher, working with musicians from middle school through adult community bands. An accomplished composer and arranger, Katheryn brings decades of teaching and conducting experience to every ensemble she leads.

Katheryn's compositions for concert band have been featured at The Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic and presented at state, national, and international conferences. Published by RWS Music, Daehn Publications, and The C.L. Barnhouse Company, her works appear on festival and contest lists nationwide.

She currently serves as Missouri State Chair of the American School Band Directors Association and is Past President of the Missouri Music Educators Association Metro District 8. Her honors include the Bandworld Legion of Honor from the John Philip Sousa Foundation, the Missouri House of Representatives Outstanding Service to Music Education Resolution, the Emerson Crystal Apple Award, and the Missouri Music Educators Association St. Louis Metro District 8 Outstanding Music Educator of the Year Award.

A native of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Katheryn earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music, summa cum laude, from Luther College and her Master of Music degree from Northwestern University, where she studied with John Paynter. She lives in suburban St. Louis with her husband, near their three adult children. When she's not making music, she enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and reading a good book.