KAREN KULZER

ACADEMY DIRECTOR
Piano Instructor

sampleKaren received her Bachelor's degree in Music/Composition from DePaul University’s School of Music. She has studied with Michael Fritsch, Melody Lord, Alan Swain, and Jim Trompeter, and participated in numerous master classes at DePaul University, Northwestern University, among other locations.  She taught in her own private music studio in Naperville for over 12 years, and served on the faculty of Swain Music Studios and Musical Expressions. She was the recipient of the “Teacher of The Year” award from the Waubonsee Valley Music Teachers Association in 2008. Karen is a commissioner on the Village of Oswego’s Cultural Arts Committee, and is a board member for the WVMTA (a division of the Illinois Music Teachers Association) and the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra.

 Karen Kulzer has performed in many different venues in the Chicago area and elsewhere, such as: DePaul University, Naperville Christian Church, St. Margaret Mary Parish, St. Raphael's Parish, The Nature Studio, The Paramount Arts Center, and NAMM Conferences in both Anaheim, CA and Nashville, TN. In addition to performing acoustic piano, Karen also worked as an electric keyboard player and composer/arranger with various musicians and groups. Karen is featured on the following pop recordings: Sink ( The Secret Behind Caterpillar Walls, 1999), T. D. Clark (Perspectives, 2000), and Gloria Taylor (2003).