Kate Price

Kate Price is a virtuoso hammered dulcimer player and vocalist whose career represents a sophisticated intersection of the 1990s New Age boom and the broader Celtic folk revival. Born in Salt Lake City, her musical identity was forged through a rigorous blend of classical training and a deep fascination with ethnic instrumentation.

Her sound identity is defined by the 'shimmer' of the dulcimer, used not just as a melodic lead but as a rhythmic engine, creating a liquid, cascading texture that differs significantly from the guitar-centric folk of her contemporaries. Throughout her career, particularly during her tenure with Narada and Higher Octave, she moved away from traditional folk structures toward a 'chamber-world' fusion, incorporating jazz-inflected rhythms and neoclassical arrangements. Critically, she is respected for her technical proficiency on an often-misunderstood instrument and her ability to maintain a high degree of organic warmth in a genre frequently dominated by digital synthesis. Her influence is most felt in the 'ethereal' and 'dark folk' circles, where her blend of mythological storytelling and crystalline production set a high standard for the genre's aesthetic.