Cat 
Hiltz

There are many hats to wear in the music industry, and Catherine has worn a lot of them. Growing up in a family of professional musicians, Catherine’s childhood was full of music lessons, rehearsals, and RCM exams – their main focus was on the cello, but they took home most instruments from their aunt’s high school band room. After a school teacher introduced them to The Beatles, Catherine’s love of the guitar blossomed, and they haven’t looked back.

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Catherine’s adulthood began by studying guitar performance at jazz school, but took a detour when they discovered the indie music scene: they were enamoured with playing in bands and living in vans. Catherine’s 18 years of performing in rock bands, cover bands, and with pop artists have taken them to stages across Europe, South Asia, and North America. They have had the privilege of performing with notable artists Tegan and Sara, Jill Barber, Rae Spoon, Mathew V, Queer As Funk, The Sojourners, Khari McClelland, and many others. They have worked alongside respected producers Sylvia Massey (Johnny Cash, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers), Alex Hope (Tegan and Sara, Alanis Morissette), and Howard Redekopp (Tegan and Sara, Mother Mother).

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In 2020, Catherine turned their focus to film composition and production. This was where their formal classical and jazz training, rock and pop performance history, multi-instrumentalism, indie sensibility, and love for music technology merged. Just as comfortable in a string quartet as a rhythm section, Catherine’s music authentically and effortlessly enhances any musical context. In 2023, Cat was chosen as one of eight nationwide participants in the SOCAN Screen Composer's Lab, working with mentors Robert Kraft, and Michel Corriveau. She is currently working in a mentorship capacity with documentary composer Miriam Cutler. Recent film and TV credits include CTV’s Farming For Love (CTV, 2023), The Hallmark Channel’s Carrot Cake Murder, Zest For Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (Hallmark, 2023), and Crazy8s Film iDorothy (Luvia Petersen, 2021). Catherine’s deep understanding of the job at hand combined with a love for The Beatles and Radiohead shape their ability to create modern and polished compositions flavoured by lush harmonies, sophisticated guitar textures, nuanced strings, warm enveloping synths, agile bass, and a willingness to be bold when the situation allows.

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Catherine gratefully acknowledges that they reside on unceded and occupied xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musquem), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories, often working or travelling on lands of the Stó:lō – hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (Kwantlen) and Máthxwi (Matsqui), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), Semyome (Semiahmoo), and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ (Tsawwassen) territories. They were born in Treaty 6 territory. They are committed to the learning necessary to decolonize both their artistic practice and daily life. They are deeply devoted to working with and serving marginalized communities, with a particular focus on helping share the stories of their own 2SLGBTQI+ community.