Karen grew up in a musical environment: with a cello teaching mother and a trumpet- and violin-playing brother and sister, music has surrounded her since she was born. After moving from Rotterdam to Apeldoorn, Karen’s new teacher –her aunt Josien leCoultre- had great influence on her first musical development: playing in ensembles and orchestras ment the discovery of her greatest passion at an early age.

Growing older and going into a new phase, Bouw Lemkes formed 13-year-old Karen’s musical personality profoundly. It was a logical step for her to start  studying with his former student, Johannes Leertouwer, at the Conservatory of Amsterdam in 2008. His knowledge combined with lessons from her second teacher Peter Brunt led to a great development of both stylistic awareness of baroque- and classical music as well as the capability of  playing romantic- and modern style.

Karen played in several Dutch Youth Orchestras, such as JON and NJO. She led the second violins of the National Youth String Orchestra and was concertmaster of the Dutch Student Orchestra Dutch Students Chamber Orchestra and Manhattan School of Music school orchestra. Karen took part in the Summer Festivals of “la Domaine Forget” where she played chamber music with a. o. Steve Dann and Kenneth Slowik, and Kneisel Hall.
She received masterclasses and lessons from Philippe Graffin, Joel Krosnick, Ronald Copes, Seymour Lipkin, Stefan Picard and Anner Bylsma.

In 2011 Karen finished her Bachelor degree at the Amsterdam Conservatory. After auditioning succesfully at the Manhattan School of Music, she was awarded a scholarship both from the school and from the Dutch foundation ‘Prins Bernhard Cultuur Fonds’. Karen will finish her Master degree as a student of Isaac Malkin in 2013.