Biography

For the past two decades Karin Leishman has been the leader of the internationally renowned Alberni String Quartet, one of Britain’s most distinguished chamber ensembles and once described in the New York Times after a Carnegie Hall recital as “one of the finest half dozen quartets in the world’ and by The Washington Post as ‘reflecting the best of British musical tradition’. Famous for their interpretations of the great Viennese classics, a complete Beethoven cycle performed in the UK over just six consecutive nights attracted and thrilled capacity audiences, some of which had travelled from as far as America and Europe especially for the event. 

In addition to her work with the Alberni Quartet, Karin has toured extensively as a chamber musician including concerts in Europe, Russia and Australia where she has broadcast ‘live’ on ABC Radio. She has appeared at the Davos International Chamber Music Festival, Switzerland and as a soloist with orchestras she has performed some of the greatest and most demanding repertoire including the Brahms, Sibelius, Prokofiev and Bruch concertos. She is particularly known for her astonishingly beautiful performances of Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending’.  Hugh Bean, the famous violinist and leader of the internationally renowned Philharmonia Orchestra wrote of her playing ‘an unfailing beauty of tone.’ 

With her Alberni String Quartet Karin has enjoyed collaborations with many internationally renowned artists including Constantin Lifschitz, Leonid Gorokhov, Ian Partridge (’On Wenlock Edge’) and Jack Brymer (Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet). As an orchestral musician she has guest-led several distinguished ensembles and orchestras including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), English Sinfonia and has been guest Assistant Concertmaster of the Philharmonia Orchestra.

As a teacher Karin Leishman is also widely recognised as being at the forefront of British specialist music education. 

“In our work with the Alberni Quartet, teaching groups at many different levels, she has shown a perfect temperament needed in teaching. She is patient yet demanding, considerate of others' weaknesses but rigorous about her own high standards.”

— Peter Pople, LGSM, FRSAMD, Hon.ARAM

Professor of Chamber Music studies, Royal Academy of Music

“Hatty's prize winning quartet has had some great coaching - but she still says the best coaching she ever had was with you and Karin!!”

— Parent of 4th year student Royal Academy of Music writing to Matthew Souter. 

Her long experience on the concert platform and her rare abilities as a teacher have attracted violin and viola students from all over the world, many of whom have gone on to enjoy distinguished careers themselves. For a decade Karin Leishman held the position of visiting teacher of violin, viola and chamber music at Wells Cathedral School, one of only five specialist music schools in the UK. In that time she was unusually successful in attracting and recruiting numerous international specialist violin and viola students to study with her. Following his masterclass visit and having worked with the Specialist Violinists at Wells Cathedral School, Rodney Friend MBE, the famous violinist and pedagogue, concertmaster of both the New York Philharmonic and London Philharmonic Orchestras. subsequently recommended Karin Leishman as teacher.

“My daughter already has her International Baccalaureate and all the qualifications she requires - the only reason she wants to come to Wells Cathedral School is to study specialist violin with you.’

— Parent of international student)

Karin and her Alberni colleagues have for many years been associated with many of Britain’s finest music conservatoires and specialist music schools.  At Wells Cathedral School they were the first quartet to hold a residency and for many years the Alberni Quartet were associated with Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music, London, where they succeeded the Amadeus as Quartet in Residence. 

Karin Leishman is a passionate, caring and well loved teacher. 

“The biggest part of my education was without a doubt my private lessons with Karin Leishman. I looked forward to them every single week, and it was not only my own determination to improve, but also respect for my teacher that pushed me to make every lesson better than the last. Having grown up working strictly on foundational skills, Ms. Leishman helped me take the first step to becoming a more musically and characteristically aware artist by provoking me to think about colours, phrasing and tone. It was a huge turning point that made me realise what it meant to be a musician and not just a violinist.”

“I have almost entirely Ms. Leishman and Mr. Souter to thank for everything that made Wells so special to me and it is very important to me to express this as their support affected not only my life during those two years, but still does having moved on from school. I could not have been better prepared for music college and I have been comfortable in all of my performance exams, technical assessments and concerts.”

— Gwyneth Nelmes, former Wells Cathedral School student, graduate of The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London and now professional violinist. 

Karin is a staunch defender of the child’s and student’s right to a safe, nurturing and caring learning environment and her approach is centered around the welfare and happiness of the individual within the solid framework of a rigorous technical foundation. With her holistic and thorough approach many of Karin’s students have blossomed with new-found enthusiasm, often leading to professional performing careers.

 “Abbie waxes positively lyrical about her violin lessons and, for the first time since she went to Wells, really looks forward to them…….. It is wonderful to see her enthusiasm for the violin rekindled. ”  

— Wells Cathedral School parent

Having taught at Bristol University for some fifteen years, Karin currently holds the largest class of violin and viola Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Scholarship students. Many of her past university students have graduated with high first class honours, won major concerto opportunities and have been offered significant scholarships from the London music colleges for Postgraduate study.

Karin Leishman was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music for services to music and has been fortunate in her career to have been loaned several fine violins including a 1727 Stradivari.

Karin Leishman has performed in both solo and chamber capacities to the most senior members of the British Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and Sandringham and at similar events in Europe. Karin was honoured to have been personally invited by the family to play solo Bach at the funeral of her friend, Duke Friedrich of Württemberg.

In 2018 her quartet, the Alberni were invited to be Quartet in Residence at The Two Moors Festival and in 2019, as part of a series of concerts at Bristol University they premiered John Pickard’s Sixth string quartet written for them. In 2022 the Alberni Quartet was awarded a special UK Heritage blue plaque to mark their outstanding contribution to musical culture across the world.

Always enjoying musical diversity, Karin has recorded with many hugely successful non-classical artists including Snow Patrol with whom she recorded ‘Chasing Cars’; She performed live with Luther Vandross on his European tour including his hit ‘Never Too Much’, and has recorded countless famous film soundtracks at Abbey Road Studios including several of the Harry Potter films, Spider-Man 2 and Walt Disney’s 101 Dalmations.

Karin Leishman is married to the distinguished violist, conductor and Alberni Quartet member Matthew Souter and together they have three children,  Sebastian, Ishbel and Freya, all of whom are in their twenties. Karin is a keen artist and is currently working towards an exhibition of her work.