About
Kari Kraakevik is a versatile composer, performer and teacher. In 2009 she broke Pepperdine University's norm as the first female composer to graduate from their music program--ever! She was also awarded the "Most Outstanding Graduate Award" for her achievements in music composition, theory and voice. This, in part, led to a full-ride scholarship and stipend position Masters student at the University of Colorado, Boulder. To her surprise, she was thrown into an adjunct position of teaching high level music theory courses (particularly aural skills) to students who in some cases were older than her! This experience was the spark that ignited her natural love of teaching.
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While obtaining her Masters in Music Composition from CU, Ms. Kraakevik focused her studies primarily on large-scale productions that were exclusively interdisciplinary. Working with dance, visual arts, theater and even children’s choirs, Ms. Kraakevik found that her niche in the composition world was to not have a “niche”, but rather to never limit herself or others. Her professors often didn't like that and wanted her to hone in on one particular art form--thankfully, she didn't listen to them!
Her favorite large scale composition during this time was a piece for voice, chamber ensemble and electronics, entitled "Lost Angeles to Los Angel," which was awarded the Levy Prize in 2011. All of her large scale musical compositions (some boasting over 80 performers) were successfully and completely funded with grants, donations and commissions. This inspired her to dream beyond academia... What if she could get funding for a larger project….? She began to think, why NOT? Why not create a space that CREATES…?
So, in 2013, Ms. Kraakevik immersed herself into the world of entrepreneurs, while still holding affiliate faculty teaching positions both at CU and Metro University in Denver. Her first endeavor was the founding of "Reel Kids" a creative space that encourages students to delve into multiple art forms. Loving her new world of collaborative arts, Ms. Kraakevik didn't stop there! In 2015 she bought existing long-time music school Wildflower School of Voice and expanded the school to what is now Boulder Music.
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Both businesses have grown tremendously in the last decade to having a combined 200+ weekly students, and a team of over 15 educators. And while Ms. Kraakevik has primarily spent the last eleven years building these companies (including the impressive fact of never once closing the doors of either business throughout all of the pandemic),, she has not forgotten her roots as a musician and artist.
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Indeed, Ms. Kraakevik has been continually commissioned to write both large ensemble and solo works. One of her most recent commissions, "Fabric of Sound," is a multimedia, multi-movement piece incorporating musical interpretations of different textures of fabrics through an autistic/sensory lens. This commissioned piece was made possible by "Cellists for Change," and is currently scheduled to perform at several cross-disciplinary concerts in several venues - most notably the Center for Neurodiversity in Spring 2025.
Ms. Kraakevik also enjoys composing for solo instruments and electronics. Her recent piece "Apri La Finestra",recorded in Italy in 2024, incorporates graphic scoring, extended techniques for both piano and trumpet and textural/timbral elements, both of which have become hallmarks of Ms. Kraakevik's compositional style. Her jazz ensemble piece, "Raining in Rome," , releasing in November 2024, echoes back to her love of jazz and "contemporary" composition; it is scored for voice, bass, piano, percussion and jazz flute. Ms. Kraakevik always welcomes ways of combining composition and performing, and throughly enjoyed being the lead vocalist in this piece.
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As a performer, Ms. Kraakevik is an avid vocalist. Originally classically trained, she truly and literally found her voice in musical theater, performing in both equity and non equity shows in Chicago, California, Arizona and most recently, Colorado. Her favorite roles are "Serena," in Fame, a role she has played in four different productions (the first time being when she was just15 years old at Desert Foothills Theater in Phoenix); and "Lucy" in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, in which she got to play opposite her close friend, and colleague, renowned playwright and actor, Kelly McAllister at Organic Theater in several cities, including Denver and Boulder. Ms. Kraakevik loves performing new theatrical works as well. Her favorite collaborative theatrical highlight was having the opportunity to work under the direction of Bill Mooney, whose credits include roles in “A Man for all Seasons” and “Lolita” on Broadway and “All My Children," playing a supporting lead in his newest musical endeavor, "Casanova at Twilight." Performing the new music of composer Hunter Ewen in this production, combined all of her loves together, learning, performing, creating and collaborating.
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Recently, Ms. Kraakevik has reignited her love of jazz, creating a duo "Take Two" with her now-husband and world renowned pianist, Joshua Rich. They have released three albums together and countless singles. Performing mostly in Europe, they just finished a ninety day tour which included recoding an additional three albums in Florence, Italy, at the prestigious "Officina Sonora Bigallo" studio, all albums releasing in early 2025. Ms. Kraakevik is also exploring the world of Americana and is scheduled to release her first album of solo Americana-inspired music in February 2025.
