Karl Stobbe
As the Concertmaster of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, a founding member of the Clearwater Chamber Ensemble, and passionate advocate of the solo violin repertoire, Karl Stobbe has carved a dynamic and wide-ranging career on the violin. His career has included performances of all 10 Mahler Symphonies, all 16 Beethoven String Quartets, all six Ysaÿe Sonatas for Solo Violin, and all the major violin concerti with orchestras across Canada. Noted for his generous, rich sound and 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’s musical journey has taken him to many of North America’s most famous concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, the National Arts Centre, and more. As a chamber musician, he has shared the stage with many of the world’s great instrumentalists, including Andrew Armstrong, James Campbell, James Ehnes, Gwen Hoebig, Anton Kuerti, and Charles Richard-Hamelin, and worked as a soloist with numerous conductors, including Andrew Boreyko, Anne Manson, Daniel Raiskin, Joseph Silverstein, Bramwell Tovey, and ScoZ Yoo. His engagement with contemporary music has seen him give premieres and collaborate with numerous composers, including Michael Daugherty, Vivian Fung, Missy Mazzoli, Jocelyn Morlock, and Michael Oesterle. His recordings on Analekta, Avie, Centrediscs, and Leaf include a JUNO-nominated recording of Ysaÿe’s Sonatas for Solo Violin, celebrated by Gramophone magazine as “exciting, fearless… full of spirit and energy.”
In 2025, after serving as the Associate Concertmaster, Karl was unanimously appointed Concertmaster of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. He was also the Concertmaster of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and has been a guest Concertmaster of numerous orchestras, including the National Arts Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. Karl is currently Artist-in-Residence and faculty member at the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music. His students have gone on to win major awards and orchestral positions across Canada and around the world.
A lover of all things violin, Karl completed a minor in Violin Repair and Construction while completing his Master’s of Music at Indiana University, fueling a lifelong passion for the instrument’s history and mechanics. 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 at various concert halls, art galleries, universities, and conservatories. Karl plays on a rare 1806 violin by Nicolas Lupot, and a 1790 bow by F.X. Tourte, both crafted in Paris. In 2024, he commissioned a new viola by Winnipeg-based luthier Garth Lee, continuing his exploration of exceptional string instruments.
