Karina Gauvin (born 1966) is a Canadian soprano who has made several recordings and is especially recognised for her interpretation of Baroque music.Turp, Richard (May 2007). "Marshalling a career in ancient and modern: soprano Karina Gauvin takes on rare French Baroque in Boston's Psyche". Opera Canada Opera News stated that, "Gauvin knows how to rivet an audience in opera and concert. She has been a queen of Baroque opera for years. Her personality is big enough to dominate her elaborate wigs and costumes, and her soprano voice is like a clear, refreshing and inexhaustible spring that darts and sparkles around any ornamental obstacle in its way."
Life and career Born 1966 in Repentigny, Quebec Gauvin was the youngest of three children born to two both professionally trained opera singers who were never able to establish successful performance careers. With the encouragement of her mother, Lucie Gaudreau, she became a member of the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus at the age of 8. She sang in numerous concerts and operas with the chorus over the next eight years, including productions of Tosca and Wozzeck. As a teenager she began to study singing seriously with mezzo-soprano Catherine Robbin in Toronto. She moved with her family back to Montreal and shortly thereafter enrolled at McGill University where she majored in Art History. While there she sang in the university's chorus under conductor Nicole Paiement. Paiement convinced Gauvin to pursue a career as a singer, and she subsequently left McGill for the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal where she became a pupil of Marie Daveluy. She later studied in Glasgow with contralto Pamela Bowden at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Gauvin made her professional opera debut with the Glimmerglass Opera. She won First Prize at the CBC Radio National Competition, and the Lieder Prize and the Public's Prize at the 's-Hertogenbosch International Vocal Competition (Holland, 1994). Other awards include the Virginia Parker Prize (Canada Council) and the Maggie Teyte Memorial Prize in London.Lavallée, Nicholas (16 December 2008). "Karina Gauvin en nomination". Le Journal de Montréal She has sung in concerts with the Chicago Symphony, Les Violons du Roy, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, Philadelphia Orchestra, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Toronto Symphony Orchestra among others.
Karina Gauvin is Mécénat Musica Artiste en résidence 2020–2023.
Discography Here is a list of albums and recordings featuring Karina Gauvin:
IMAGES DE NOËL — 1999 TAFELMUSIK — 1999 MESSIAH — 1999 FÊTE GALANTE — 1999 SAMUEL BARBER — 2000 APOLLO — 2000 COUPERIN CONCERT DANS LE GOÛT THÉATRAL — 2000 EXSULTATE JUBILATE — 2001 MOZART REQUIEM — 2001 CHANTS D’AUVERGNE — 2002 MAHLER 4 — 2003 ARIADNE — 2003 BELLE VOCI: KARINA GAUVIN — 2004 AGAR ET ISMAELE ESILIATI — 2004 VIVALDI, TITO MANLIO — 2005 HYVER — 2005 PURCELL — 2006 ALCINA HANDEL — 2007 LULLY PSYCHÉ — 2007 EZIO HANDEL — 2008 HAENDEL ARIAS — 2008 Vision Mahler – Symphony No. 2 in C Minor – 2008 BRITTEN: LES ILLUMINATIONS — 2009 PORPORA ARIAS — 2009 PSAUME 51 / CANTATE 82 — 2009 FARNACE VIVALDI — 2010 ARIODANTE HANDEL — 2010 HANDEL: STREAMS OF PLEASURE — 2011 GIULIO CESARE — 2012 MESSIAH — 2012 PRIMA DONNA — 2012 ALESSANDRO — 2012 OLYMPIADE — 2012 HANDEL ORLANDO – 2013 GIOVE IN ARGO — 2013 HAENDEL/TAMERLANO – 2014 MOZART ARIAS — 2014 Debussy: L’Enfant Prodigue, Ravel: L’Enfant et les sortileges – 2014 Bach : Matthäus-Passion – 2014 HANDEL : PARTENOPE – 2015 STEFFANI NIOBE, REGINA DI TEBE – 2015 OLIMPIE – 2016 Mozart: Don Giovanni – 2016 La Senna festeggiante de Vivaldi – 2017 Mendelssohn: Symphonies 1-5 – 2017 Clemence de Titus – 2017 DIVINE KARINA – 2017 Ascanio – 2018 Ascanio – 2018 NUITS BLANCHES – 2020 POULENC - STABAT MATER - 2024 MERCURE - CANTATE POUR UNE JOIE - 2024 Citations
External links Karina Gauvin’s official website (Flash required)