She was a violinist born Kristin Elizabeth Brinkmann in Texas who began playing the violin when she was 9 years old. She studied at the University of Houston in 1988, where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance. In 1991 she earned her Master’s degree at the University of Minnesota.
In 2000 she became a member of the Minnesota Orchestra and performed nationally and internationally and performed at events in Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Musikverein and with the Berlin Philharmonic. She also performed with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, where she was also a board member.
As chamber musician she performed with the Hill House Chamber Music Series and the Plymouth Music Series. She often worked in a duo with her husband, the pianist Charles Kemper and they toured Ukraine with the Evangelion Chorale.
Her career was cut short when she had to retire from performing due to Parkinson’s disease that was diagnosed in 2003, although she still performed for several years after diagnosis.
Recordings she performed on, outside of the Minnesota Orchestra, include Angels – Celestial Voice of Harmony by Voice Trek and Make Him Do Right by Karyn White.
In the field of musical education she was a faculty member at Bethel University.
Outside of music she became the founding president of the White Bear Lake Society of Parkinson Hummingbird Photographers.
She died in Birchwood, Minnesota in January 2020 when she was 52 years old.
She performs here…
Sources:
- https://www.crescenttide.com/2020/02/02/brinkmann-kristin-elizabeth/
- https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13031151/violinist-diagnosed-with-parkinsons/
- https://www.stolaf.edu//news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=349&archivePage=108
- https://www.presspubs.com/white_bear/news/local-violinist-plays-close-to-home/article_dacde946-cdce-50d5-98c4-3d60b28a2b7f.html
- https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2006/04/18/playing-with-parkinson-s/
- https://www.minnpost.com/arts-culture/2013/07/current-snapshot-minnesota-orchestra-numbers/