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Born in Ireland, after graduating from the National University of Ireland, Dublin, and Kent State University in Ohio, she studied conducting under Marin Alsop and Natalie Stutzmann.
He has previously guest-conducted with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, and the Montreal Metropolitan Orchestra. He currently focuses his activities in the UK, having guest-conducted with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and the Manchester Camerata, before making his BBC Proms debut in July 2025. In addition to his conducting activities in the UK, he has expanded his European activities by serving as Senior Artist-in-Residence at Mozarteum University Salzburg in Austria. He has also distinguished himself in the opera field, receiving rave reviews for the world premiere of Ena Brennan's "Hold Your Breath" at the Bregenz Festival. He has also been frequently called upon to perform Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" with the English National Opera and Welsh National Opera.
In 2021, she joined the academy of the National Orchestra Institute, founded by conductor Marin Alsop. In 2024, she was awarded the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship, which supports female conductors and has produced such accomplished conductors as Alondra de la Parra, Karina Canellakis, and Alena Furon. Alsop praised Karen, saying, "Karen is extremely talented and continues to grow as a conductor. Her energy, musicality, and compassionate work will be remarkable in the future." She will make her Japanese debut in April 2026.