Teaching Artist

As a teaching artist, Karen has contributed to community engagement programs with numerous organizations, including the Sarasota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, and Young Audiences. She has also led seminars and masterclasses at institutions such as Amherst College, The Hartt School, the International Double Reed Society, the Knight Foundation, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Lucarelli Oboe Camp.
Karen is the Director of Community Engagement for the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, a position she previously held with the New World Symphony for two seasons. She also served as the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Eastern Music Festival, where she was a member of the oboe faculty for 20 years.
During her time at EMF, she created and presented a wide variety of programs, including professional development seminars and Behind the Music lectures. She has presented  lecture/performances for Rotary International and the Road Scholar program. Additionally, she coached student ensembles in community engagement skills.
Karen has developed multiple educational programs, including Once Upon an Orchestra for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and Storytime with the Symphony for the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, which was a two-time recipient of the prestigious Blue Grant from the New World Symphony.
In 2025, she was a participant in Summer Forum at Lincoln Center, a multi-day training for select Teaching Artists in from across the world. She was also selected to complete the Teaching Artist, Teaching Inclusivity training through Marquis Studios, a sx-week in school training at NYC D75 schools. She has been selected to present at the 8th conference of th International Teaching Artists Coalition which will be held in Antwerp Belguim.