Other recent performances include the title role in Tosca with Opera Birmingham, Addie Parker in Yardbird with Arizona Opera, Sister Rose in Dead Man Walking with Atlanta Opera, Serena in Porgy and Bess with Fort Worth Opera, and her debut with Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Billie in Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons' Fire Shut Up in My Bones. In concert, she was a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the world premiere of Hannibal Lokumbe’s Healing Tones with Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Union Symphony Orchestra for Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder.
Equally at home on the concert stage, Ms. Slack has performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Mahler’s 2nd Symphony and the Verdi Requiem with various orchestras throughout the US. Abroad she has appeared with the Melbourne Symphony, Sydney Symphony, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestras, and most recently, with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic in celebration of the 80th birthday of Mo. Yuri Temirkanov. She made her Carnegie Hall debut as Agnes Sorel in Tchaikovsky’s Maid of Orleans with the Orchestra of St. Lukes and will return in Spring 2022 with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for Beethoven’s Egmont. Additional upcoming engagements for the 2021-2022 season include her stage debut with the Houston Grand Opera in the world premiere of Joel Thompson and Andrea Davis Pinkney's A Snowy Day, a recital with pianist Alan Morrison at Atlanta’s Spivey Hall including the World Premiere of a new work by American composer Adolphus Halistork, Verdi’s Requiem with the Highlander Concert Series at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas and a concert of arias with Omaha Symphony in collaboration with Opera Omaha.
A graduate of the Adler Fellowship and Merola Opera Program at the San Francisco Opera, the native Philadelphian is also a graduate of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music. She is a winner of numerous competitions and awards: most notably the Montserrat Caballe International Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the George London Foundation Award, the Marian Anderson ICON Award, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, the Rosa Ponselle International Vocal Competition, the Portland Opera Lieber Award, the Liederkranz Foundation Award and the Jose Iturbi International Competition for Voice.
Karen is one of the newest recipients of Sphinx’s Medal of Excellence.
I cannot think of a better place to learn, grow, create, and excel as young artists. The generosity and kindness form the teaching artists and staff is unmatched. I cannot recommend it enough.2023 Fellow
The teaching artists not only provided an unparalleled level of experience and knowledge, but provided immense support for all fellows throughout the Festival.2023 Fellow
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