Karin Schaupp is one of the most outstanding guitarists on the international scene. She performs widely on the international stage as a recitalist, concerto soloist and festival guest, and has given countless recitals in Australia, Europe, Asia, the US, Mexico and Canada. Karin’s playing receives the highest acclaim from critics and audiences alike and she is held in great esteem by her peers worldwide. Her unique stage presence and magical, passionate playing have inspired several composers to write works especially for her.
Karin’s guitar training began at the age of five and she first performed in public the following year. While still in her teens she won prizes at international competitions in Lagonegro, Italy and Madrid, Spain, where she was also awarded the special competition prize for the Best Interpretation of Spanish Music.
Taught almost exclusively by her guitarist mother, Isolde Schaupp, Karin completed her tertiary music studies at The University of Queensland with First Class Honours, a Masters degree and was the recipient of a University Gold Medal. In 2003 she was awarded the Music Council of Australia Freedman Fellowship in recognition of her achievements, and in 2013 was awarded the prestigious Music Fellowship (2014-2015) from the Australia Council for the Arts.
Karin has recorded an extensive discography for Warner Music International and ABC Classics. Her acclaimed solo debut Soliloquy (1997) for Warner Music was praised by UK Classical Guitar Magazine as “a pace-setting performance in all respects…”. This was soon followed by the ARIA nominated bestseller Leyenda (Warner 1998), and then Evocation (Warner 2000), Dreams (ABC Classics 2004), Lotte’s Gift (ABC Classics 2007), and Cradle Songs (ABC Classics 2010).
Her chamber music collaborations have also led to a number of recordings including three albums with the ARIA award winning ensemble Saffire, The Australian Guitar Quartet, a duo album with Genevieve Lacey (recorders), the ARIA nominated Fandango (ABC Classics 2011) with Flinders Quartet, the double ARIA nominated Songs of the Southern Skies (KIN 2012) with Australian songstress Katie Noonan, and Karin and Katie's latest release, Songs of the Latin Skies (KIN 2017), which was awarded the 2017 ARIA for Best World Music Album. In March 2018, ABC Classics released Wayfaring, with cellist Umberto Clerici and more recently, Karin joined Florecilla Records, an online label for whom she continues to commission and record world premieres of new Australian works.
Karin’s orchestral recordings include the award-winning world premiere recordings of Phillip Bracanin’s Guitar Concerto (1995 with The Queensland Symphony Orchestra), which was written for her, and Ross Edwards’ Concerto for Guitar and Strings (2004 with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra). Karin has also recorded Peter Sculthorpe’s Nourlangie (2005) for guitar and orchestra with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and Spain (2009 ABC Classics) featuring works by Rodrigo, Bacarisse and Castelnuovo-Tedesco with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and the choir Cantillation. Gramophone Magazine (UK) praised Spain, saying “By combining the lapidary precision of Williams with the expressiveness of Bream, Schaupp here brings us an Aranjuez fit to stand alongside the best of them…”. In 2014, ABC Classics released Karin’s Mosaic: Australian Guitar Concertos album.
Karin will join Camerata as a special guest for Camerata & Karin Schaupp: Serenade, 22 & 24 May 2024.
