Mezzo-soprano, Karen Brunssen is Professor and Co-chair of the Department of Music Performance at Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University. She served as President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past-President of NATS, coordinated NATS Intern Programs, was Program Chair for the 54th NATS National Conference, was a NATS Intern Master Teacher, Governor of NATS Central Region, and has led two NATS International Pedagogy Trips to Germany and England. She is a member of the American Academy of Teachers of Singing Her book, The Evolving Singing Voice: Changes Across the Lifespan (Plural Publishing, 2018) chronicles changes in respiration, vibration and resonance, and realistic expectations for singing throughout life.
A frequent vocal clinician in-person and virtually, master teacher, panellist, and adjudicator, she presented at the 2022 International Congress of Voice Teachers in Vienna, the 2022 World Choral Expo in Lisbon, the 2020 Online Eurovox, 2020 Classical Singer Virtual Conference, Podium2016-Choral Canada, many NATS Conferences and Workshops, and ACDA National Conferences. Teaching residencies include thirteen at Cambridge University in England, the Zürcher Sing-Akademie, Shallaway Youth Choir in Newfoundland, Brancaleoni International Music Festival, Atlantic Music Festival. Her 30+ year singing career included solo appearances with Chicago, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Houston, Cleveland, St. Louis, National, Seattle, Milwaukee, Netherlands Radio, Halle, and Mexico City Symphony Orchestras, Prague Autumn Festival, Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Aspen Music Festival.
Karen’s students have won competitions including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum, McAllister, Oratorio Society of New York, Licia Albanese/Puccini Foundation, and Loren L. Zachary Society Auditions. They have sung with the Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Washington National Opera, Theatre an der Wien, Royal Opera House, and more.
Upcoming Short Courses
Monday 20th January 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Navigating Vocal Aging for Singers
Karen Brunssen
As singers approach their senior years, they can benefit greatly from a voice teacher who understands the normal changes involved as they navigate vocal aging. This course will focus on the realities of aging voices for senior singers and what can be done to address vocal production and peripheral issues that can affect the activity of singing.
Tuesday 14th January 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
The Ever-Evolving and Developing Singer’s Voice Across the Lifespan
Karen Brunssen
This course will span the entirety of singing lives from birth through old age. A deeper understanding of chronological development over the span of a lifetime offers an informed perspective for optimal, strategic, and realistic expectations for vocal production at each and every age.
Past Short Courses
Thursday 12th October 2023
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Considering Vibrato Through the Lens of the Evolving Singing Voice: changes across the lifespan
Karen Brunssen
This session will look at one feature of singing: Vibrato! What is it? What causes it? What variables can be considered in a vibrato? Rate? Extent? Range? Tensions? Does it change across the life span? If so, how? When? Why?
Thursday 6th October 2022
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Evolving Singing Voice: The Senior Years
Karen Brunssen
This short course draws information from Chapter 6 of Karen’s Book, The Evolving Singing Voice: Changes Across the Life Span – The Senescent Singer.
Thursday 2nd September 2021
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Developing Voice
Karen Brunssen
This presentation will outline those changes alongside the consequential expectations for the coordinated effort and interplay of respiration, vibration, and resonance when singing.