For me, music is a form of connection — with ourselves and with others. My wish is not only to move people through music, but also to create moments of true presence and authenticity.
Karin Bonelli is passionate about the magic that happens when a sea of sound and the musicians who create it merge into one. Since 2012, she has been part of that extraordinary ocean of sound: the Vienna Philharmonic. She made history as the first woman to be appointed to the wind section of the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, and thus to the Vienna Philharmonic.
Talent alone, however, is not enough to find one’s place in such an extraordinary musical collective. Karin Bonelli’s journey began with her very first flute lessons from her mother—herself a flutist, as is her father—and studies in Linz, Vienna, Lyon, and Munich with distinguished teachers including Gisela Mashayekhi-Beer, Günter Voglmayr, Philippe Boucly, Wolfgang Schulz, Julien Beaudiment, Philippe Bernold, and Karl-Heinz Schütz.
Through these formative encounters, she was exposed from an early age to a rich variety of musical traditions, sound aesthetics, and performance styles, all of which shaped her artistic voice without ever quenching her desire to continue exploring, growing, and discovering.
In the moment
My top priority is to be in harmony with what I live and give of myself. Through my authenticity I try to live out all my layers and facets. I meet my audience and my music students with gratitude and joy every day.
In addition to her early success in international competitions, she entered the world of professional orchestras at a remarkably young age, performing with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, and the Opéra National de Lyon. Today, she performs around the globe not only with the Vienna Philharmonic under the world's leading conductors and alongside internationally acclaimed soloists, but also as a passionate chamber musician and soloist.
„Music is the most direct art form to reach people emotionally in the now. That is exactly what is so immensely valuable about it.“
Another of Karin Bonelli's great passions is passing on the inner fire, helping young flutists discover and develop their own unique strengths. She has shared her experience through teaching appointments at the Universities of Music in Graz and Vienna, as well as through her own Penthesilea Academy.
In her podcast, Penthesilea on Air, Karin Bonelli engages in in-depth conversations with leading experts on performance, training, and the many facets of appearing on stage. In addition to her qualifications as a certified psychological coach and trainer, she specializes in working with musicians and other performers using Process and Embodiment Focused Psychology (PEP), helping them navigate the mental and emotional challenges of performance.
She is also regularly invited to give masterclasses in piccolo playing, another area of particular expertise within her artistic and pedagogical work.
Since October 2026, Karin Bonelli has been Professor of Flute at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz.
„I found my voice through music and I wish that my students would also find and follow their own, authentic path in life.“
