Karen Matheson

Karen Matheson OBE (born 11 February 1963) is a Scottish folk singer, who frequently sings in Scottish Gaelic. She is lead singer of the group Capercaillie and was a member of Dan Ar Braz's group L'Héritage des Celtes, with whom she often sang lead vocals, either alone or jointly with Elaine Morgan. She and Morgan received much acclaim for their joint lead vocal on the Breton language song "Diwanit Bugale", the French entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1996. She made a cameo appearance in the 1995 movie Rob Roy singing the song "Ailein duinn".

She grew up in the small village of Taynuilt in the region of Argyll, western Scotland.

She was appointed an OBE in the 2006 New Year's honours list.

Matheson also appeared as a guest musician on Spirit of the West's 1997 album Weights and Measures.

Matheson performed a solo in Secret Garden's song "Prayer" in the 1999 album Dawn of a New Century.

She is married to fellow Capercaillie member Donald Shaw, and they have a son named Hector and a daughter named Kate.

On 16 October 2015, Karen Matheson released her fourth solo album, Urram, on Vertical Records. In support of the new album, Karen Matheson is due to perform 7 shows in Scotland in December 2015 and January 2016, one show in January in Dublin, Ireland and 5 shows in the UK in February 2016 (as part of the Transatlantic Sessions).

On her official web site, Karen Matheson announced in March 2016 that she would embark on a 11-date Spring 2016 UK tour, visiting mainly Scotland, starting on 15 April 2016 in Perth, Scotland and ending on 18 June 2016 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Karen Matheson announced on 1 July 2016 that she would perform one show on 19 July 2016 at Ionad Cois Locha, Dún Lúiche, Ireland, together with long-time friends and music partners Donald Shaw and Manus Lunny (both from Capercaillie), during the Trad Trathnona ("Trad Afternoon"), County Donegal's Summer of traditional Sessions (to occur each Tuesday in July & August).

After performing two shows on 26 & 28 August 2016 at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Karen Matheson would embark on a 9-date Fall 2016 UK tour due to start on 15 September at the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock, UK and to end on 29 September at the Bush Hall in London, UK.

• The Dreaming Sea (1996)
• Time to Fall (2002)
• Downriver (2005)
• Urram (2015)