Karen Wilkerson, Soprano, enjoys a diverse musical career as a conductor, soloist, clinician and teacher. For over 6 years she was a member of the Ensemble Singers of Vocal Essence, touring England, Korea and China, singing in over 30 professional concerts, operas, including Prairie Home Companion. She sang, toured and recorded for four years with The Dale Warland Singers. She performed in over 14 productions with the Minnesota Opera, and the Ordway Music Theater.
Wilkerson is an active recitalist and oratorio soloist. She was soloist for the Mozart Requiem in 2014 with the St. Olaf Chapel Singers, and St. Olaf Orchestra. In the 2015 Vespers program with Jamie Bobb and the St. Olaf Cantorei in a sacred program including jazz greats Dave Brubeck and Duke Ellington. In 2017 Wilkerson premiered a new sacred oratorio by Charles Forsberg entitled Cantica in Laude Sacri with the St. Olaf Chapel Choir and the St. Olaf Orchestra. Wilkerson was a featured recitalist, and clinician for the Conference for Theology and Worship at St. Olaf College. Wilkerson was a soloist with the Bloomington Symphony in their Concert of Wagner classics.
She is a popular clinician as a choral professional and solo and ensemble judge and master class. Her students have had broad success at winners of in NATS competitions, both in the classical and theater categories.
Currently, at St. Olaf College, Wilkerson is a fulltime instructor of voice and Music Director of the Lyric Opera. A lifelong church musician, Wilkerson directs the adult choir at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Roseville MN. She has served the faculties of Lutheran Summer Music, University of Northwestern.
Wilkerson holds degrees in Music from California State University, Northridge, and Westminster Choir College, Princeton New Jersey. She studied extensively in Italy with the renown Rita Patanè, and most recently with Audrey Stottler.