About Karen

Karen is a lifelong coach and mentor to teenagers. She has taught chamber music as a specialist in the high schools of Washington state since 1982, and is admired and trusted by scores of teachers, parents and students.

Chamber Music America: Karen was recipient of the 2000 Kay Logan Award, a national award for excellence in chamber music teaching. She was selected for years of coaching, teacher-training and creating camps and events to promote the art of chamber music.

Her work helped to establish knowledge/skills/love of the string quartet and chamber orchestra repertoire in the middle and high school programs of Washington. She, with her colleague Irv Eisenberg from the Philadelphia String Quartet are often credited with laying the groundwork that inspired the Washington orchestra teachers to establish the STATE ENSEMBLE DIVISION in 2000- held in Ellensburg every April since then. Prior to 2000, ensembles could enroll for ‘comment only’, there was only a competitive division for solo players. Now, every April, over 1,000 ensemble players (strings, woodwinds, brass, vocal, percussion) participate at the state level.

Brief Résumé

College Advisory & Financial Aid Advising: 2011- present

Very high placement rates for her student clients into excellent universities. Successful track record for obtaining major scholarships to private colleges. Clientele is not limited at all to music majors; she has many students who want to continue to play but not as a profession; and of course specializes in those entering as music performance or educations majors.

Founder & Director of Chamber Music Madness, 2000-2010 -year-round educational program for young people. Many alumni have gone on to successful careers as musicians, and all were inspired with the lifelong love of playing chamber music.

Guest Professor in Shandong, China 1997-1998 The first foreign music teacher ever engaged at Qufu Teachers University. Karen spent a full academic year on the faculty teaching violin and chamber music; and experiencing China.

Professor at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. 1986-1998 Tenured director of the string program. Ran the chamber music program, taught music appreciation for non-music majors. Founded the Preparatory Music Program for the community. .

First violinist with the Philadelphia String Quartet . 1982-1987 Full-time career, performing over eighty concerts annually. Toured internationally , including to India, Brazil, Chile and Columbia. Co-founded the Olympic Music Festival. (Concerts-in-the Barn.org) and Chamber Music Institute “The Farm”, a month-long camp for teens founded in 1984 at the barn.

Education:
Masters in Music - Yale University -with Joseph Silverstein, violin Bachelors in Music - Indiana University -with Josef Gingold, violin