QUEENSLAND'S GERMAN CONNECTIONS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Karin Schaupp

Karin Schaupp is introduced to us by Robin Kleinschmidt as one of Australia’s best-known classical guitarists, who performs solo and in artistic collaboration with a wide range of other musicians in Australia and abroad, winning acclaim wherever she plays. Karin was born in Frankfurt-am-Main in 1972 into a musical family – her mother taught guitar at the Conservatorium of Music in Wiesbaden, and both her grandmother and her aunt were opera singers. She received almost all her guitar tuition from her mother, from the age of five, revealing an extraordinary early talent, and began performing in public only a year later. She came to Australia with her family in 1980, and undertook her tertiary music education at the University of Queensland, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours and was awarded a University Gold Medal. She has since completed a Masters degree, and in 2003 was awarded the Music Council of Australia Freedman Fellowship. As well as her musical training Karin also trained as an actress through short courses at NIDA (the National Institute of Dramatic Art) in Sydney, and the Australian Acting Academy and most extensively with private coach Martin Challis. Her passion for performance flows into her stage presence playing her music, as well as in her acting. When only in her teens she played in international competitions, winning prizes in Lagenegro in Italy and Madrid in Spain. At the age of 18 Karin performed Rodrigo’s Concertio de Aranjuez with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra. She has achieved world recognition as a performer and recitalist, and has been honoured with the distinction of having written works specifically for her by composers. Australian playwright David Williamson has also written a one-woman play for her titled Lotte’s Gift , based on her life and that of her grandmother. She performed the play as both actress and musician in more than 150 performances across Australia and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a four-week season. She recorded the soundtrack of the play in 2007, one of a growing number of solo CDs made for Warner Music International and the ABC over the course of a decade. Other CDs include the ARIA-nominated Leyenda (1998), Evocation (2001), Dreams (2004) and Cradle Songs (2010), a collection of lullabies recorded after the birth of her first child, Alexa.

Both in live performance and recording she has had distinguished collaborations. Her recordings of Ross Edwards’ Concerto for Guitar and Strings with the Tasmania Symphony Orchestra and of Philip Bracanin’s APRA-award- winning Guitar Concerto with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra were world premieres. Other works performed or recorded with orchestra include Peter Sculthorpe’s Nourlangie and, more recently, a highly-acclaimed recording of Roderigo’s Concertio de Aranjuez and Baracisse’s Concertino for Guitar and Strings . As a member of Saffire , the Australian guitar quartet, she released three CDs including the ARIA-award-winning self-titled album Saffire . Karin has played as in the World Guitar Trio, and has collaborated with numerous other artists including recorder player Genevieve Lacey and the choir Cantillation . In 2011 her CD Fandango with the Flinders Quartet was nominated for another ARIA award. A new CD with multiple Platinum Award-winning singer Katie Noonan, Songs of the Southern Skies , released in 2012, marks a musical expansion for Karin, encompassing classical, folk, jazz, pop and traditional folk songs. Karin Schaupp is in great demand in all parts of the world as a concerto soloist, recitalist and festival guest, and has made extensive tours in many countries, including the USA, Europe, Asia, Mexico and Canada, as well throughout Australia She has appeared as soloist with international orchestras including the London Philharmonic at London’s Festival Hall. She was guest artist in China at the 50th anniversary celebrations of China Radio International with her live performance broadcast and televised to 20 million listeners and viewers. She has appeared and performed live on television in Germany, the USA and Australia. In Australia she frequently plays on radio and gives many interviews and guest appearances.

karinschaupp.com

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