Kari Ravnan, born and raised in the USA, left home at the
age of 13 to study with Gabriel Magyar (cellist of the
Hungarian Quartet) at the National Academy of Arts in
Champaign, Illinois. Three years later she was accepted as a
student of Leonard Rose and began studying at the Juilliard
School. After graduating from Eastman School of Music with
a Soloist Diploma, she continued her studies in Europe with
Pierre Fournier in Geneva, William Pleeth in London and
Sandor Vegh in Salzburgh.
In addition to many recital tours with her father, pianist
Audun Ravnan, in the USA, and solo recitals in Washington
D.C. and at the Bergen International Festival, Ravnan has
appeared as soloist with several European and American
orchestras, including the Aspen Philharmonia, Aldeburgh
Festival Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and the
Norwegian Radio Orchestra and the Norwegian Opera
Orchestra. She was chosen the winner of the 1985
Washington International Competition in Cello and made her
solo debut in Washington, D.C.
As a passionate chamber musician, Kari has been a member
of the Zennor String Trio and Prometheus Ensemble in
London and Borealis Ensemble in Oslo. Her many festival
appearances include Marlboro Music, Schleswig-Holstein
Music Festival, Open Chamber Music at Prussia Cove,
Leicester International Music Festival, Oslo Chamber Music
Festival and Vestfold Festspillene. She has performed
together with such artists as Michael Tree (Guarneri Quartet),
Anthony Marwood, Sandor Vegh, Norbert Brainen (Amadeus
Quartet), Roger Tapping (Juilliard Quartet), Marianne Thorsen
and Isadore Cohen (Beaux Arts Trio). Ravnan is the founder
and artistic director of the Horten Chamber Music Festival.
Kari began teaching at an early age when at 19 years old she
was appointed to be assistant to her teacher, Paul Katz, at
the Eastman School of Music. She has taught at the
Trondheim Music Conservatory and since 2008 at the
Barratt Due Institute of Music. She has a special interest in
teaching chamber music. Her students have won many
competitions, including “Musician of the Year” of the
Norwegian Music Competition for Youth, “Æresprisen” of the
Sparre Olsen Competition and first prize of the Lincoln
Chamber Music Youth Competition in the USA.
Kari Ravnan has been the principal cellist of the Bergen
Philharmonic Orchestra, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra,
Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and the Norwegian Opera
Orchestra. She has also worked with Chamber Orchestra of
Europe and Ensemble Modern. Ravnan is presently a member
of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.