American violinist and violist, Karina Schmitz, recently settled in Sydney and is thrilled to find herself immersed in the rich and vibrant musical scene in Australia. She also appears as principal violist with the Australian Haydn Ensemble and in nineteenth-century period trio Notturno. She has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra, Van Diemen’s Band, Salut! Baroque, and Ensemble Galante.

In the United States, Karina was principal violist of Handel & Haydn Society in Boston, principal violist of Apollo’s Fire in Cleveland, principal violist of the Carmel Bach Festival in California, and founding violinist/violist with New York based 17th century ensemble ACRONYM. Karina holds viola performance degrees from New England Conservatory of Music (Boston) and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Karina plays on a copy of a Brothers Mantegazza viola she commissioned from Canadian maker, Francis Beaulieu, in 2011.