Sophie Kauer

Sophie Kauer (born September 2001) is a British-German cellist and actress. She made her screen debut in the 2022 Todd Field film, Tár, where she starred alongside Cate Blanchett.[1]

Kauer, Berlin International Film Festival 2023

Life and career

Kauer was born in London.[2] At the age of 8 she began learning to play the cello; she was accepted 18 months later into the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied with Melissa Phelps.[3] She studied at the Academy on a scholarship for seven years and simultaneously attended Guildford High School.[4]

In 2019 Kauer was named "Young Musician of the Year" by the Woking Music Festival.[5] Since the autumn of 2020 Kauer has been studying at the Norwegian Academy of Music with cellist Torleif Thedéen.[2]

Kauer was cast in the role of Olga in the 2022 film Tár; her previous acting experience had been minimal.[2] According to interviews, she found out about the casting call in a Facebook post[2] in February 2021.[6] A friend had sent it encouraging her to try out.[2] With COVID-19 lockdowns canceling in-person lessons and concerts, as well as restricting people from leaving their homes, Kauer decided to audition because she thought it was "really cool". She also said she had no expectations of success and believed Tár would be an "amazing way to bring classical music to the attention of a whole new audience".[6] She auditioned via Zoom, then later received a call asking her to submit a recording of herself playing Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto. After a week she was informed by Todd Field and one of the film's casting directors that her audition had been successful.[2]

Kauer recorded portions of the Elgar Cello Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra in the soundtrack album for Tár. Despite her role in the film, she said that playing the cello remains her focus.[3]

References
  1. Nick Clark (6 January 2023). "Tár's breakout star Sophie Kauer: 'I learned to act from Cate Blanchett'". Evening Standard.
  2. Yu, Brandon (October 25, 2022). "She Knew the Cello. The Acting She Learned With Cate Blanchett". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  3. Butterworth, Hattie (January 24, 2023). "From conservatoire to cinema – the cellist behind Todd Field's Tár". Gramophone. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  4. Allfree, Claire (January 13, 2023). "Tár's star cellist Sophie Kauer: 'It's not helping anyone by saying you refuse to play music by white male composers'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  5. "Previous Woking Young Musicians of the Year competitions". wokingmusicfestival.org.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  6. Horst, Carole (January 10, 2023). "Musician/Actor Sophie Kauer Thought Tár Would Be a Great Way to Showcase the Emotion of Classical Music". Variety. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
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