Karen Baumgartner, M.M.

Award winning flutist Karen Baumgartner has given solo performances all across the country from Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis to Carnegie Hall in New York City. She has performed on National Public Radio as well as numerous times on Minnesota Public Radio. Karen has often performed in world premiers and has recently begun commissioning new works for flute. Karen’s first commission was by composer Grant Luhmann. She premiered his Flute Concerto with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra in Minnesota. The performance was recorded by and aired on Minnesota Public Radio. Karen’s previous and future commissions include a multimedia solo flute piece, a flute sonata, a flute concerto for middle school band, and a flute and harp duet.

Karen was an award winner in Minnesota Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition and was previously awarded a $10,000 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. She has soloed with the Saint Paul Civic Symphony, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, orchestras at the Eastern Music Festival, and the Century College Orchestra. Karen has performed with Minnesota Opera and has also performed with the Minnesota State Dance Theater for their annual Nutcracker production. Karen has been a finalist in the SVSO Young Artist Competition and twice was a runner-up at Indiana University’s Woodwind Concerto Competition. Karen has won the Pellerite Orchestral Excerpt Competition, Schubert Club Competition, and Thursday Musical Competition. During the 25th year of the Laudie Porter Flute Competition Karen became the first flutist to have won each age division of the competition. Karen has been a finalist in the YPSCA Competition and Minnesota Public Radio’s Varsity Competition.

Karen has performed in the Schubert Club, Salon se Lève, and Music at Trinity concert series as well as Thursday Musical’s Recital Series and Minnesota Public Radio’s Varsity Tour Concert. Karen has also been recorded by Baby Blue Arts and featured on their website.

Karen has Flute Performance degrees from Indiana University and The University of Texas at Austin and her teachers include Michele Frisch, Thomas Robertello, and Marianne Gedigian.