Katherine Thomas (born June 6, 1966), best known by her stage name The Great Kat, is an American musician best known for her thrash metal interpretations of well-known pieces of classical music. Most feature her using the electric guitar, but on some she uses the violin. Thomas is a classically trained violinist, graduating from the Juilliard School and touring for a time playing conventional classical music before crossing over to metal.
She was born in Swindon, England (on a U.S. Air Force Base Military Hospital) and moved to the U.S at the age of 3. Kat began Classical piano studies at 7. At the age of 9, she began Classical violin studies in New York. At the age of 15, The Great Kat won a Full Scholarship to attend the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City as a Violin Student. She graduated with Honors from The Juilliard School and began performing, first as a Classical violin soloist at Carnegie Recital Hall as winner of the exclusive "Artists International Competition" and then soloing on violin extensively in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe. She is also the winner of numerous competitions, including Gallery Concert Series Young Artists Award, the New York State Music Teachers Association Collegiate Artists Competition, the Great Neck Symphony's Young Musicians Competition and named "The New Woman To Watch" for two consecutive years by New Woman Magazine.
After touring the world, The Great Kat realized that Classical music was dead, so she began updating Classical Music with Speed Metal and transcribed intricate violin solos to the guitar. Kat developed a new genre of music: “SHRED/CLASSICAL” Music. Her first LP, "Worship Me Or Die!" was released in 1987. Since then she has released 6 albums and 5 EPs.
