All you need to know about the Scottish operatic soprano Karen Cargill
Who is Karen Cargill?
Karen Cargill is a Scottish operatic mezzo-soprano, and one of the most renowned singers of her generation.
She has performed with both the Metropolitan Opera and at the Edinburgh International Festival. She also performs twice at the 2023 BBC Proms.
How old is Karen Cargill?
Karen was born in December 1975.
Where is Karen Cargill from?
Cargill was born in Arbroath, Scotland. Her father was a plumber and her mother worked in a bank.
Where did she study?
Cargill went to Carnoustie Academy, in Angus, east-central Scotland. She went on to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Is Karen Cargill married?
Yes – to Nick Zekulin, former chief executive of the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland.
What roles has she sung?
Karen’s operatic roles include Geneviève in Debussy‘s Pelléas et Mélisande, Judith in Bartók‘s Bluebeard’s Castle, Dryade in Strauss‘s Ariadne auf Naxos, Dido in Purcell‘s Dido and Aeneas and Anna in Berlioz‘s Les Troyens.
- The story of… Debussy’s ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’
- Bluebeard’s Castle: how Bartók’s psychodrama holds a dark fascination
Karen is also much admired for her Wagner roles: she regularly sings Erda in Das Rheingold and Siegfried, Fricka in Das Rheingold, Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde, Waltraute in Götterdämmerung and Magdalena in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
She has also recently sung Mahler Symphony No. 2 with both the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and Mahler Symphony No. 3 with Deutsches SymphonieOrchester Berlin under Robin Ticciati.
What awards has Karen Cargill won?
Karen Cargill won the 2002 Kathleen Ferrier Award, an annual prize and funding given to a young British singer to cover the cost of a year’s study and general support. More recently, in 2021 Cargill was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Operatic Recording as part of the Metropolitan Opera’s recording of Poulenc‘s Dialogues des Carmélites.
In July 2018, Karen was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Did you know?
Karen is Patron of the National Girls’ Choir of Scotland.