Karen is a former co-principal harp of the London Symphony Orchestra and was head of Harp at the Academy from 2010 to 2022
Karen was a founder member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and then principal harp of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for six years before her return to London in 1984, when she was appointed co-principal harp of the London Symphony Orchestra – a position she held for over thirty years.
She played with the LSO under the baton of such eminent conductors as Abbado, Tilson Thomas, Bernstein, Boulez, Haitink, Sir Colin Davis and Gergiev, and collaborated on projects with Sir Paul McCartney, John Williams and Elvis Costello. She can be heard on numerous classical and crossover recordings with the LSO and on the soundtracks for films such as Braveheart, The Queen and the Star Wars and Harry Potter franchises.
From 1999 to 2008 she was Professor of Pedal Harp at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). She has been a professor at the Royal Academy of Music since 2004, serving as Head of Harp from 2010 to 2022. She also teaches at The Purcell School for Young Musicians.
Karen has coached the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, the Pacific Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Spain and has given masterclasses in China, Japan, Portugal and Thailand as well as the UK. She co-founded the HarpMasters Summer Academy FUTURES in Switzerland and the Hong Kong Harpy Summer Academy. She has served on the jury for international competitions in the USA, Slovenia, Poland, Wales, Hong Kong and South Korea.
A participant in all the World Harp Congresses since 2002, Karen served on the Corporation and Board of Directors of the WHC and for many years as Associate Artistic Director. She is President of the United Kingdom Harp Association.
Karen studied piano, flute and harp at the Academy and continued her studies with the renowned Russian harpist Maria Korchinska.
Her pupils have had considerable success in national and international competitions and hold orchestral and teaching positions worldwide.