Mezzo Soprano KAREN CARGILL

Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill is one of the most renowned singers of her generation. Winner of the 2002 Kathleen Ferrier Award, Karen has gone on to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Operatic Recording as part of the Metropolitan Opera’s recording of Dialogues des Carmélites. In July 2018 Karen was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

In huge demand on the concert platform, Karen’s recent engagements have included Berlioz La damnation de Faust with DSO Berlin and Robin Ticciati; Mahler RückertLieder with the CBSO and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla; Elgar Sea Pictures with Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra cond. Thomas Søndergård and with the London Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Antonio Pappano; Judith in Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle with both the LSO cond. Sir Simon Rattle and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin cond. Christian Schumann; Das Lied von der Erde with WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln and Cristian Măcelaru; Mahler Symphony No 2 with both Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España cond. David Afkham and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Markus Stenz; Beethoven Missa Solemnis with the Philadelphia Orchestra & Lieder by Alma Mahler with Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, both conducted by Yannick NézetSéguin, and Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with Sir Andrew Davis in the closing concert of the 2022 Edinburgh International Festival.

In the 22/23 season Karen sings Mahler Symphony No 2 with both the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Paolo Bortolameolli and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal cond. Rafael Payare; Schoenberg Gurrelieder and Berlioz La damnation de Faust, both with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Edward Gardner, and Mahler Symphony No 3 with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Robin Ticciati.

For full biography please visit sco.org.uk