Karen
de Silva
Jazz Violinist Band Leader Composer
Biography
Karen de Silva is a jazz violinist, composer and arranger. Having practised law, she decided to pursue her passion for music, graduating with First Class Honours from the BA (Hons) Music (Jazz Performance) Degree at LASALLE College of the Arts. A frequent performer at concerts and outreach programmes including SingJazz, Fete de la Musique, JB Arts Festival, JB Jazz Festival and the Asia Pacific Wataboshi Music Festival, she has performed in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Korea and China.
Karen founded the AcoustiKa Jazz Quartet (jazz ensemble) & Viva Strings (contemporary string quartet) in 2014, where as leader and artistic director, has performed at arts festivals in Singapore and Malaysia. Her latest performance and composition explorations traverse the musical spirit of the acoustic and electric spectrums through the medium of jazz.
Karen’s musical explorations of the acoustic & electric soundscapes span both ends of the spectrum with the aim of capturing the spirit & history of both vibes while exploring different combinations of the same, at times in synthesis and at others in juxtaposition.
It's All About The Music
Many of us often associate the ‘acoustic’ with a more classical, restrictive and old school approach to music making. This is a perception I intend to challenge and push beyond such boundaries through my original compositions. Conversely, the ‘electric’ is often seen as more ‘youth’ oriented, overloud and perhaps even rebellious side to music. Again, I would like instead to illustrate my view of its subtle beauty, liberating and universal qualities through my songs.
musiKA creations
A firm believer in how music can enrich and transcend lives, Karen founded musiKA creations to share her convictions. With the vision of using contemporary musical innovations and creativity to engage one's target audience, musiKA applies this philosophy in all its endeavours be it for education, outreach, team building, composition, performances, workshops and more. Further, musiKA is a platform for Karen's performance related events as a solo artist, band leader and member (e.g. AcoustiKa Jazz Quartet, Viva Strings, RustiKa Quartet). The spirit of collaboration with other artists, across genres, disciplines and vocations is one which runs strong in musiKA's identity, which in turn allows for personalised and target specific programmes to be developed where required.
Performances & Events
Weddings, Company Annual Dinners, Product Launches, Fund Raising Dinners, etc.
Master Classes & Workshops
For Musicians: Specialising in Jazz and Improvisation for strings players. Individual master classess and group workshops are available.
For Every Music Lover: Music appreciation workshops.
Team Building
Music based Icebreaker and Team Building activities for corporate organizations.
Composition & Arrangement
Commissions of original music and arrangements for various ensembles.
Education & Outreach
Classical & Contemporary music programmes which span from academic to practical/performance based content in their focus.
Outreach: Pro Bono Music & Motivation Workshops.
