Former Principal Trumpet of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Karin “K” Bliznik (she/they) is a multi Grammy Award-winning performer. Bliznik has held principal positions in the Atlanta, Charlotte, and Charleston Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Santa Fe Opera. She has appeared as Guest Principal and soloist with the New York Philharmonic and as Guest Principal with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. 

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Bliznik is interested in cross-genre collaboration and has performed with a wide range of artists, including Stevie Wonder, Kayne West, and The Temptations, and at numerous music festivals—most recently with Gina Chavez at South by Southwest, Folk Alliance Festival, and West Hollywood Pride, in addition to Trumpet Mafia at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival,  

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Bliznik is also a singer/songwriter, guitarist, and lead singer of Queen Kiddo, a melodic-driven rock band started with her colleagues from the SLSO. In the past few years, she joined the board of the Recording Academy and started her own record label, Tower Grove Records, where she is lead engineer and producer. 

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Bliznik holds a Master of Music from Northwestern University where she studied with Barbara Butler and Charles Geyer, as well as Christopher Martin of the New York Philharmonic. She also holds a Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance, summa cum laude, from Boston University where she studied with Terry Everson, and Tom Rolfs of the Boston Symphony. 

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Bliznik has appeared on brass faculty at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, New World Symphony, National Youth Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival and School, and National Orchestra Institute, and has given masterclasses and clinics worldwide.