Artistic Director and Juno nominee Karen Barg is a versatile violinist with over twenty years of professional experience as a soloist, performing with passion and heart that add musical elegance to any event
Artistic Director, Karen Barg. Photo: Dave Swiecicki
About KAREN Barg
2023 Juno nominee Karen Barg has performed with a vast array of musicians including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Indian City, Michael Bublé, Disturbed, Sarah Brightman, Il Divo, The Eagles, Anne Murray, Lee Aaron, Fred Penner and Juno nominee Don Amero. She has professional recording experience with numerous bands and artists including Indian City (for which the band was nominated for a Juno in 2023 for the album “Code Red”), Don Amero, and Lee Aaron. Karen studied solo violin performance at the University of Manitoba and McGill University. She has studied privately with Joanne Martin, Jack Glatzer, Lorand Fenyves, Gwen Hoebig, Madame Gho, and Guillaume Tardif. She has extensive Suzuki teacher training, held the position of Program Coordinator for Suzuki Music Winnipeg for five years, and enjoys teaching a full Suzuki violin studio. She enjoys any opportunity to ‘rock out’ on her electric 5-string violin with some of Canada’s classic iconic rock bands.
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AUDIO SAMPLES
Professional performing experience
Indian City (Juno nominated) – Solo Violin, Vocalist (2018 – 2023)
Lee Aaron – Guest Solo Violinist, Club Regent (2023)
Disturbed – Solo Violin, Canada Life Centre (2019, 2023)
The Eagles – Second Violin, Canada Life Centre (2022)
Michael Bublé - Principal Second Violin, Concert Master, Canada Life Centre (2019, 2022)
Don Amero Amero Little Christmas Show – Strings Organizer; String Arrangement Composer; Luminous String Quartet, First Violin, Solo Violin (2017 – 2019, 2021 – 2023)
Prism – Guest Solo Violinist, Club Regent (2022)
The Headpins – Guest Solo Violinist, Burt Block Party (2022)
Honeymoon Suite – Guest Solo Violinist, Club Regent (2019), Burt Block Party (2021)
Chilliwack – Guest Solo Violinist, Club Regent (2019)
Il Divo – Second Violin, Canada Life Centre (2007), Concert Master, Centennial Concert Hall (2019),
Michael Bolton – Principal Second Violin, Club Regent (2018)
Dry Cold Productions of Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Bridges of Madison County – Solo Violin
Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Winnipeg – First Violin, Concert Master
Sarah Slean tour of Metaphysics (Winnipeg, 2017) – Luminous String Quartet, First Violin
Cirque Musica tour (2017) – Second Violin
Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Principal Second Violin, Canada Life Centre (2012)
Anne Murray – Second Violin, Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall and Canada Life Centre (2008)
Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra – Second Violin
The Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of Camelot – Principal Second Violin (2001)
Brandon Chamber Players – First and Second Violin
Sarah Brightman tours of La Luna and Harem – Principal Second Violin, Winnipeg Arena
Prairie Performances Concert Series – solo performance
The Messiah performance with the WSO – Second Violin
ABBA-Mania tour – Second Violin, Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall
Steve Michaels as Elvis: The Way It Was – Second Violin, Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall
The Messiah – Concert Master, University of Manitoba Choir, Director Elroy Friesen
Winnipeg Singers – Concert Master
WSO with Doc Walker for Annual Jets Gala – first violin section, Canada Life Centre
First Mennonite Church – Concert Master
Karen Barg and the Ken Currie Trio – lead vocals and jazz violin
Fred Penner and the Cat’s Meow Band – violin and vocals
“Karen Barg has always exceeded my expectations with her own creative approach and ideas to lend to a project. Her knowledge of different instruments, notation, arrangements, and playing styles is a huge asset.”
“Karen is easy to work with and comes to the table with new ideas that spark our collaborations. As a member of my band since 2010, she brings her exuberant violin and vocal talent to the stage, enhancing the performances with strong solo work and clean, clear hamonies. It is a joy to work with such a passionate and enthusiastic performer.”
“The Luminous String Quartet’s performance was amazing. Karen, Artistic Director, went above and beyond her commitment to my show. I would recommend Luminous to anyone looking for a great string quartet or any musician looking for good arrangements.”
Karen Barg is a classically trained violinist with a range spanning genres as diverse as country, heavy metal, top 40, and standard jazz
Photo: Dave Swiecicki
“‘The Gates on Roblin’ is a prestigious restaurant and wedding venue. We deal with many great musicians and talented performers on a regular basis. Luminous String Quartet is just that - great musicians that perform amazing music for our guests and events. However, behind the scenes, they are also efficient in their setup, reliable and punctual, courteous to our other vendors, and extremely respectful to our staff and on site coordinators. This warrants a little extra mention and a huge thank you!!”
Karen Barg performing wth Prism. Photo by: Lenny Crate.
“We hired Luminous String Quartet to play during our wedding ceremony. Karen was incredibly accommodating and professional throughout the whole planning process, and offered great advice and suggestions for music selection during the different parts of the ceremony. You can tell that she is passionate about the work that she does and committed to making the wedding ceremony perfect through the services provided. Luminous has a very diverse range of repertoire to choose from which allowed the selections we chose to be very personal to us and tailored to the musical styles that we enjoy. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a quartet.”
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