Karl Stobbe
Karl Stobbe is recognized as one of Canada’s most accomplished violinists, known for his dedication to excellence on the violin and classical music in all its forms. As a concertmaster, soloist, and chamber musician, Karl is an audience favourite from small settings to large venues. His diverse career path has included performances of all six Sonatas for Solo Violin by Ysaÿe, all sixteen String Quartets by Beethoven, and all ten symphonies by Mahler. He is equally at ease directing an orchestra without conductor, performing as a soloist with orchestra, playing chamber music, or giving a recital of unaccompanied works. Noted for his generous, rich sound and long, poignant phrasing, he is described by the San Francisco Classical Voice as “an artist with soulful musicianship,” and by London’s Sunday Times as “a master soloist, recalling the golden age of violin playing… producing a breathtaking range of tone colours.” Karl has performed in many of North America’s most famous concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, the National Arts Centre, Roy Thompson Hall, Segerstrom Hall, and the Orpheum Theatre.
Distinguished by his lifelong love of the music for solo violin, Karl’s latest recording project is a six-album series based on the unaccompanied violin repertoire of J.S. Bach. In honour of the 300th anniversary of Bach’s famous Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, it explores Bach’s influence through recordings of the Sonatas and Partitas alongside other violin repertoire that is influenced by him, including works by Bartók, Paganini, Oesterle, Shostakovich, Kodály, and others. These albums will be released individually over the next few years
A lover of all things violin, Karl completed a minor in Violin Repair and Construction while pursuing his Master of Music degree at Indiana University. His passion for the construction and mechanics of the violin is an important part of his professional musical life and continues to influence his performances and teaching. Karl never misses an opportunity to see and play exceptional violins and bows. He has given multiple presentations on the history of the violin family, violin building and repair, and organized exhibits and lecture recitals on rare, fine instruments in various concert halls, art galleries, universities, and conservatories. Karl plays a violin and a bow that were made just fifteen years apart in Paris, only blocks away from each other – an 1806 violin by Nicolas Lupot, and a 1790 bow by François Xavier Tourte.
