# Karen Street is one of the UK’s most well known and respected accordionists: Video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2018/12/12/karen-street-is-one-of-the-uks-most-well-known-and-respected-accordionists-video/
- Published: 2018-12-12T19:41:11+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**13.12. – Happy Birthday !!! Karen Street is one of the UK’s most well known and
respected accordionists, she is also highly regarded as a saxophonist and and as
a composer for both instruments.**

Although she has a background in classical music she branched out into jazz and 
other genres early in career and is now a highly accomplished and experienced musician.
Her passion has always been to challenge people’s preconceptions of the much maligned
accordion.

**An Experienced Performer**

Karen has played with a host of other well known performers, including Bryan Ferry,
Ute Lemper, Grace Jones, Martha Wainwright, Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli. Also with
institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Birmingham Contemporary Music
Group, The Nash Ensemble, the RPO, Opera North, the English Touring Opera, LSO, 
BBC Philharmonic, Ice Breaker, the Matrix Ensemble with Willard White, Royal Opera
House, the RTE Orchestra, Opera North and Ballet Rambert.

Karen was a member of the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour band for three seasons
and she is also called upon for many radio and film sessions.

**Early Years**

Karen started to play the accordion at the age of seven and soon joined the local
accordion band in Burton on Trent, Staffordshire. This proved a great musical grounding
as the band performed all kinds of music; from classical transcriptions to arrangements
of popular tunes. As a child she won many prizes on the accordion competition scene
and was encouraged to play other instruments including the clarinet, piano and saxophone.

She went on to study music at Bath University, and although a first study clarinetist,
she performed her final recital on the classical free bass accordion, becoming one
of the first accordionists in the country to do so. She continued her accordion 
studies with Mario Conway at the Welsh College of Music and Drama and became the
British Virtuoso Champion in 1981/2 competing in the Coupe Mondiale (World Championship)
in Hamburg and Folkstone.

A move to London followed where she studied with the late Ivor Beynon, a pioneer
of the classical accordion. During this time she  entered the Royal Overseas League
music competition but with no category for the accordion  they created a special
prize to recognise her success. In 2004 she was invited to play at the prestigious
Chartres International Accordion Festival alongside accordionists from all over 
the world.

Jazz – An invitation from Mike Westbrook to join his band on saxophone and accordion
performing ‘Big Band Rossini’ developed Karen’s interest in jazz. Being thrown in
among the cream of British jazz players proved both hugely challenging and extremely
influential and she has since been involved in many of Mike Westbrook’s projects
including ‘Bar Utopia’, ‘Platterback’, the Najinska Chamber’ a duo with Kate Westbrook
and, most recently, a reworking of ‘Glad Day’.

Her interest was such that she returned to education completing a Post Graduate 
Jazz course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Here she became involved
in Tim Garland’s ‘Lammas’ and in his “Made by Walking” project playing alongside
Geoff Keeser, Joe Locke and Avishai Cohen. This led to other work with Phil Robson,
Steve Arguelles, Martha Lewis, Julie Sassoon, Nikki Iles, Tina May and Martin Taylor.

![Картинки по запросу Karen Street](https://i0.wp.com/2.bp.blogspot.
com/-z-9n9uJGJsE/VPYxPPX_3NI/AAAAAAAAabg/yEMBvH-oMxg/s1600/Karen%2BStreetBW%2Bmed%
2Bres.jpg?w=640)

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