At the Guildhall School of Music and Drama she studied recorder with Pamela Thorby, baroque oboe with Gail Hennessy. With guitarist Arngeir Hauksson, she won the 1997 Portallion Chamber Music Prize and in 1999 she won the Deutsche Bank (formerly Bankers' Trust) Pyramid Award with her chamber group Concanentes.

As a founder member of the prize-winning ensemble Concanentes (specialising in music from the Middle Ages and sixteenth century), Catherine has performed in many of the major early music festivals in Britain as well as the Purcell Room at the South Bank, Barcelona Early Music Festival, Bruges Early Music Festival and given a tour of The Netherlands for the Oude Musiek Organization.

Catherine has given solo recitals and masterclasses all over the UK and performed as a guest soloist for the National Chamber Orchestra of Wales in 2001. As well as teaching privately, Catherine is Deputy Head of the Tower Hamlets Centre for Young Musicians, works for The Music House for Children and is an external examiner for the Welsh College of Music and Drama. Catherine is currently training for an MSTAT to become a teacher of the Alexander Technique.