Karen Baumgartner

Award-winning flutist Karen Baumgartner has given many solo performances including a sold out performance at Carnegie Hall at which she was awarded a $10,000 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. Karen has performed on National Public Radio on their program From the Top and has also been featured numerous times on Minnesota Public Radio. Karen has a love for premiering new works and has commissioned multiple flute concertos, chamber works, and a multimedia solo flute piece. Karen’s first commission was a Flute Concerto by Grant Luhmann which she premiered with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. Karen is a member of 10th Wave and is a founding member of e(L)ement as well as Wood an’ Wind which have both been a part of Minnesota Public Radio’s Class Notes program which brings professional ensembles to schools throughout all of Minnesota.

Karen is based in the Twin Cities and has performed with many groups including Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and Reno Chamber Symphony. She also holds the Associate Flute position with South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and the Second Flute position with Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. Karen has soloed with Saint Paul Civic Symphony, Apollo Music Festival, and has been a board member of Upper Midwest Flute Association. Karen has been an Adjunct Instructor at University of Minnesota Morris and is currently an Adjunct Instructor at University of Northwestern - St Paul.

Karen received her B.M. in Flute Performance from Indiana University where she studied with Thomas Robertello and her M.M. from University of Texas at Austin where she studied with Marianne Gedigian. When Karen is not playing flute she enjoys creative hobbies, being active, and spending quality time with friends and family.