Katherine was born and raised in Austin, Texas, where her parents are professional musicians, tenured members of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and retired music educators. It is not an exaggeration to say that she has lived her entire life surrounded by music. Katherine was exposed to music before she was even born, sitting comfortably in the baby bump beneath her mother’s cello. As a toddler, her parents would set a playpen in the middle of their string quartet rehearsals, and Katherine would fuss when they started talking too much or something didn't sound right. As a young child, Katherine would gaze in awe, hanging on to every note, as her father would serenade the family with his violin. As she grew, she discovered a passion for composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Camillle Saint-Saëns, and Antonio Vivaldi, and could often be found listening to the local classical radio station, KMFA.

Katherine began studying the cello in 1995, and participated in the Austin Youth Orchestras (AYO) from 1998-2006, working her way up to the principal seat of the AYO Symphony. She graduated from the A.N. McCallum High School Fine Arts Academy in 2006, where she led as principal cellist of the Varsity Chamber Orchestra (a 2005 Grammy Signature School Finalist). Katherine continued her study of music at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. After fiddling around with the violin for years she finally began formally studying the violin in 2007, adding the viola around 2012. 

In 2010, Katherine relocated to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she married her college sweetheart, Dan Serber. Katherine began formally teaching private string lessons in 2012, and actively performing with the Chapel Hill Philharmonia as well as other small ensembles throughout the Triangle area. She worked closely with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, periodically subbing and running rehearsals when the orchestra directors needed time away. During the pandemic Katherine and her husband briefly relocated to Louisville, Kentucky where her husband began his career as a genetic counselor. Katherine was able to retain a good number of her students who had switched to taking lessons over Zoom. In mid-2022, the Serber family found themselves at home in the PNW, where they hope to remain long-term. Since January 2023, Katherine has been an active member of the Rainier Symphony Orchestra.

Outside of teaching, Katherine enjoys watching movies with her husband, snuggling with her three kitties, photography, jigsaw puzzles, and picking up instruments like the mandolin and fretless bass guitar. Piano made several appearances in her education, but alas, they were not made for one another. Katherine’s musical lineage includes Pablo Casals, Paul Olefsky, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Phyllis Young.