Karl Kaiser studied at the Music Universities in Cologne and Münster. In parallel, Karl Kaiser also studied theology, philosophy and musicology at the Universities in Bonn and Cologne, but then decided to become a professional musician. Since then, he has made an outstanding name for himself, not only as a soloist, a chamber and orchestral musician in the field of historically informed performance practice, but also as a pedagogue.
After having gathered many diverse and inspiring experiences in various Early Music orchestras and groups, Karl Kaiser concentrates today on just a few complementary ensembles.
He has been a member and flutist of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra for many years and frequently travels around the world with this ensemble, both as an orchestral musician and as a soloist. As a soloist of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, he has made CD recordings of several flute concertos by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Johann Christian Bach and Johann Sebastian Bach.
He has been flutist at the Camerata Köln for almost 30 years with world-wide concerts and over 50 CD recordings of a large part of the Baroque and Early Classical chamber music repertoire.
Karl Kaiser is also a founding member of the Frankfurt orchestra La Stagione under Michael Schneider, and soloist on CDs with flute concertos by Telemann, Abel and Holzbauer.
Karl Kaiser’s interests as an enthusiastic pedagogue are wide-ranging. He is professor for historical flutes and performance practice at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt and at the Freiburg Music University. He gives masterclasses and lectures on 18th century performance practice on a regular basis. He is the author of the book Basiswissen Barockmusik (‘Basic knowledge on Baroque music’) published by the con brio Verlag. Karl Kaiser sees his teaching activities, beyond the mere instruction of skills, within a broader context.
The highlight of the double CD is the B minor Overture, which sounds like a virtuoso and assertive statement of transverse flutist Karl Kaiser for his instrument.
02/12 FONO FORUM
Have you ever heard the Badinerie from Bach’s B minor Suite so artfully ornamented? This worn-out chart topper from the classical hit parades is turned once again into a small gem, as Karl Kaiser adorns it with glittering embellishments.
NDR Kultur – CD-Neuheiten, 20/11/2011
The truly frenetic applause… were surely aimed at… the charismatic transverse flutist Karl Kaiser.
Wiesbadener Kurier, 22/11/2011
And then again, there is this lightness – for instance, in the B minor Overture – …where Karl Kaiser shows his virtuosity on the flute.
Badische Zeitung, 12/11/2011
Through the clarity and refinement of his tone, the flutist’s performance, who teaches in Frankfurt and Freiburg, can hardly be surpassed.
Berliner Zeitung, 22/10/2010
Karl Kaiser blends his subtle mastery of the transverse flute into the ensemble and provides an abundance of colors.
Klassik.Com, 07/07/2011
But even more amazing are the sounds that Karl Kaiser can draw from his transverse flute… His tone is slender, with a great unfading wealth of colors, cantabile and ethereal
Klassik.Com, 13/03/2009