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Obituary for Karen Marie Marmer

Karen Marie MarmerThe US violinist Karen Marie Marmer has died at the age of 63 from cancer. With her husband, fellow violinist Jörg-Michael Schwarz, she led the New York-based REBEL Baroque Ensemble, acting as its manager and publicist as well as performing with the group.

Born in 1957, Marmer studied with Israel Chorberg and Ruth Waterman at the Aaron Copland School of Music in New York City, and with Syoko Aki at the Yale School of Music. She studied baroque violin with Jaap Schroeder, Marilyn MacDonald and Lucy van Dael.

During her career, Marmer performed with a number of European and American Baroque outfits, including the Netherlands Bach Society, Capriccio Stravagante, Ensemble Baroque de Mateus, the Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra and the American Bach Soloists. She also served as principal with the New York Collegium, American Classical Orchestra and the Grande Bande in New York, as well as the Stuttgart Baroque Orchestra for which she served as co-concertmaster (1991–96).

Marmer was also the founder and producer of the chamber series Musica Antiqua Nova, based in Bedford, New York. She was artistic director of the Tableau Vivant ensemble, while she and Schwarz also performed as the Black Marble Duo.

Long-time friend and band-mate Dongsok Shin posted this remembrance, including a wonderful recording of a Johann Gottlieb Goldberg Trio Sonata.

Listen and watch more on the REBEL Youtube channel.

We join Karen's family, friends, and colleagues in mourning her loss.

GEMS is a non-profit corporation that supports and promotes the artists and organizations in New York devoted to early music — playing repertoire from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical periods.