Karen Rosenak has spent all of her professional life in the Bay Area where she has divided her time between teaching and performing. As a graduate student at Stanford University she was introduced to the performance of early music and in particular, the fortepiano, an interest that she continues to pursue. As a (modern) pianist, she has specialized in the performance of new music, which presents constant and varied challenges, frustrations, and ultimately, many rewards. Probably the most challenging and rewarding aspect of her career, however, is the musicianship sequence she teaches at UC Berkeley, where she helps students learn to read, understand, and HEAR the language of music.
Compositions/Performances/Publications
Recordings: pianist in CD’s of music by composers such as Cindy Cox, Richard Festinger, Andrew Imbrie, Jorge Liderman, Pablo Ortiz, John Thow, Mark Winges; and ensembles EARPLAY, EMPYREAN, and SAN FRANCISCO CONTEMPORARY MUSIC PLAYERS.
CV
Education: B.Mus and M.A., San Francisco State University; D.M.A., Stanford University
Academic Positions: Assistant Professor, Mills College; Visiting Assistant Professor; Lecturer; and Lecturer, SOE, University of California, Berkeley
Professional Activities: Founding member and pianist with Bay Area new music ensembles, EARPLAY and EMPYREAN; piano soloist with Oakland East Bay Symphony; guest pianist with SF Chamber Music Sundaes; fortepiano soloist in recitals at DeBellis Collection and Noe Valley Ministry in San Francisco; Strathmore Hall in Baltimore and Berkeley Art Center; pianist with San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Berkeley Contemporary Chamber Players, Mills New Music Ensemble, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Left Coast, and others.
Awards: Mellon Grant to develop interdisciplinary course in German lieder, awarded and taught jointly at Mills College with Professor Elisabeth Siekhaus.