Karen Geoghegan

Karen Geoghegan is a Scottish bassoonist. After studying violin as a child, she took up the bassoon at age 12 and took lessons from Russell Cowieson. She went on to study with Janet Bloxwich at the Junior Academy of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and attended the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with John Orford. Winner of the Gilbert Innes Prize and the Wolfson Scholarship, Geoghegan became a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and also performed with Camerata Scotland NYOS Futures, a contemporary music ensemble. In 2007, Geoghegan appeared on the BBC Two television program Classical Star. Ralph Couzens, managing director of Chandos Records, saw her performance, which led to her signing with the label. She has performed with the City of London Sinfonia, the BBC Philharmonic, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of Opera North, and performed at the BBC Proms under Gianandrea Noseda. She has also given a recital at Wigmore Hall as a recipient of the Royal Academy of Music's Wigmore Award. She received the Meaker Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music for the 2010/2011 academic year.