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Ferneham Hall,
Fareham

Soloist - Karen Kingsley

Saturday 5th July 2014   7.30
HAVANT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
 

Karen Kingsley – Piano

Karen gained her GRSM and LRAM diplomas in piano and piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was awarded several prizes and commendations.  Whilst at the Academy she performed Gershwin’s piano concerto and Shostakovich’s 2nd concerto.  She has played in masterclasses with John Barstow, Peter Katin and Roger Vignoles.

A graduate of and prize-winner at the Royal Academy of Music, Karen had the privilege of playing to Lutoslawski, the Polish composer and playing concertos with the college ensembles.  Since her first concerto (Beethoven No 2) with the Havant Orchestras in 1992, Karen has made 13 other appearances playing works by Chopin, Mozart, Grieg, Rubinstein, Poulenc and Saint Saëns. 

According to a press report, Karen is a ‘soloist with a smile on her face and a smile in her heart’ – a statement with which listeners to any of her performances will wholeheartedly agree.  She is a local favourite and is now a national celebrity following her debut on BBC TV in April 2010 accompanying Sam Moffitt in the Brass Section Final of the BBC Young Musician competition and on BBC Radio 3 earlier this year with Robert Blanken and Richard Moore playing the World Premiere of Anthony Hedges’ trio called Three Humours for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano.

In addition to all her concerto, chamber, solo playing and accompanying commitments, Karen is Head of Keyboard at Portsmouth Grammar School – a post she so enjoys that she can’t remember exactly how long she has held it! 

In her spare time Karen enjoys playing tennis, collecting factual magazines about crime, playing Scrabble and watching ‘Countdown’ on television.


Karen Kingsley

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