Karen Clark’s rich, clear singing and command of the stage have received accolades from major journals, such as the New York Times, The New Yorker, the San Francisco Chronicle, the South China Post, and many more. Karen’s repertoire spans the centuries to include medieval chant, troubadour and trouvere chanson, baroque opera, romantic art song, and new music of the 20th and 21st C.
In 2009-10, Karen's San Francisco recital featured the violist, Hank Dutt, and pianist Marilyn Thompson. Their performance of Brahms Zwei Gesänge, Opus 91; and music of Hildegard von Bingen received high praise. Karen has, twice, had the honor of performing alongside the Pulitzer poet, Gary Snyder. In San Francisco's Old First Concerts 2008, and in 2009, on the Grass Valley Concert Series, Karen sang the premieres of song cycles on Snyder's poetry written for her by Fred Frith, Allaudin Mathieu, Robert Morris, and Roy Whelden. Karen's recording of these works with the Galax Quartet is due for release in 2010. Also in 2010, a new release on the Dorian label features Karen singing the roles of Diana, and Morfeo in Duron's Zaruela, Moro Cupido! with El Mundo, directed by Richard Savino.
Career highlights for Karen include: Bach's B-minor Mass with the Santa Rosa Symphony; the National Chorale in New York's Avery Fisher Hall; and with Joshua Rifkin and the Bach Ensemble in New York, Kansas City, Italy, and Western Australia. In medieval and renaissance literature, Karen has been a featured artist on many prestigious concert series and international festivals, such as: The Holland Festival (Utrectht), Royamount, Köln, Bologna, Konstanz, Brussels, York, Seattle, Berkeley, Boston, Chataqua, Caramoor, Cabrillo, and Chicago's Ravinia Festival.
Her collaborations with prominent ensembles, such as, Ensemble Sequentia, Newberry Consort, Pomerium Musices, Ensemble Alcatraz, the Waverly Consort, and Boston Camerata have been appreciated worldwide. Karen is heard with many of these fine musicians on the Erato, New Albion, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Dorian, Musica Omnia, Focus, and MHS record labels.
Karen Clark directs the women's vocal ensemble: Vajra Voices which premiered at the Berkeley Music Festival 2010 performing medieval music of Hildegard von Bingen and St. Martial polyphony. Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both sword and diamond which stand for a clarity and strength of spirit. Karen lives in Northern California and maintains private studios in Berkeley and Petaluma.
