Karen Sunabacka (MB) (2010–12)

« As a com­po­ser, a new music concert pro­mo­ter, and a com­po­si­tion Pro­fes­sor in Win­ni­peg and Mani­to­ba, I feel that it is impor­tant for the new music com­mu­ni­ty of Cana­da to work toge­ther for the bet­terment of music in Cana­da. Since my first intro­duc­tion to CNMN at the 2007 mee­ting in Win­ni­peg, I have been impres­sed and ins­pi­red by the work of this orga­ni­za­tion. As a board mem­ber for Ground­swell, I would like to conti­nue the ties that other Ground­swell board mem­bers have alrea­dy esta­bli­shed with CNMN. » [2010]

Born in Win­ni­peg, Cana­da, Karen has been stu­dying music since she was four. She is an Assis­tant Pro­fes­sor in Music Theo­ry and Com­po­si­tion at Pro­vi­dence Col­lege in Otter­burne, Mani­to­ba. In March 2008 she gra­dua­ted from the Uni­ver­si­ty of Cali­for­nia, Davis with a PhD in Theo­ry and Composition.

With her orches­tra com­po­si­tion “And There Was A Great Calm,” Karen won the Cana­dian Music Centre, Prai­rie Region, Emer­ging Com­po­sers Com­pe­ti­tion. This piece was then per­for­med at the Win­ni­peg Sym­pho­ny Orchestra’s New Music Fes­ti­val in Februa­ry 2009.

Karen has also had pieces per­for­med by Ground­swell (Win­ni­peg), the Empy­rean Ensemble in Davis (Cali­for­nia), the Bran­don Cham­ber Players (Cana­da), Left Coast Ensemble (San Fran­cis­co), Agas­siz Cham­ber Players (Win­ni­peg), St. Margaret’s Angli­can Church Choir (Win­ni­peg), St. Stephen’s Epi­sco­pal Church in Bel­ve­dere (Cali­for­nia) and the Van­cou­ver Sym­pho­ny Orches­tra (rea­ding ses­sion) conduc­ted by Maes­tro Bram­well Tovey. She has recei­ved com­mis­sions from Ground­swell, the Bran­don Cham­ber Players, the Agas­siz Cham­ber Players and St. Margaret’s Angli­can Church.

Karen has pre­sen­ted aca­de­mic papers about women’s voices and elec­troa­cous­tic music in Paris, Los Angeles and Mon­treal. Her elec­tro­nic music has been pre­sen­ted at nume­rous concerts and fes­ti­vals inclu­ding : Cel­lo­fest at UCDa­vis, CNMAT (Cen­ter for New Music and Audio Tech­no­lo­gy) in Ber­ke­ley,Mer­ging Voices : Women in New Music Fes­ti­val in Ful­ler­ton, Cali­for­nia and at the Elec­tric Rain­bow Coa­li­tion, an elec­tro­nic music fes­ti­val at Dart­mouth Col­lege in New Hampshire.

In 2006 Karen won the pres­ti­gious UCDa­vis Outs­tan­ding Gra­duate Student Tea­ching Award and loves tea­ching music to stu­dents of all ages. Her com­mit­ment to tea­ching youth led her to found a Sum­mer Arts Camp in Win­ni­peg for teens and chil­dren ; she ser­ved as the direc­tor for three years. An avid canoeist, she has led and direc­ted many canoe trips and finds much of her ins­pi­ra­tion from the outdoors.

Her web site