Karen Brunssen

About

Karen Brunssen is a mezzo-soprano and Professor at the Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University, where she serves as Co-chair of the Department of Music Performance. She is the Immediate Past-President of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) and served as President from 2016-2020. She was inducted as a lifetime member of the American Academy of Teachers of Singing in 2013. Karen is the author of The Evolving Singing Voice: Changes Across the Life Span, which chronicles how changes in respiration, vibration, and resonance impact realistic, age-appropriate expectations for singing throughout a lifetime. Her international concert, oratorio, and opera career spanned 40 years including performances with Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago, Baltimore, Houston, Seattle, Mexico City, and Pittsburgh symphonies. Her students have won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and performed with prestigious opera companies including the Met, Chicago Lyric Opera, and San Francisco Opera.

Education & Qualifications

BM from Luther College, graduate work at Yale School of Music and Kent State University

Teaching Styles