Karen Brunssen is Professor of Music at the Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University where she teaches voice and is Co-Chair of Music Performance. She is a frequent teacher, clinician, and adjudicator for organizations, colleges, and universities throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Her book, The Evolving Singing Voice: Changes Across the Life Span, chronicles how changes in respiration, vibration and resonance impact realistic, age-appropriate expectations for singing throughout a lifetime. She has done many residencies for singers at Cambridge University, the Zürcher Sing-Akademie, International Institute of Vocal Arts in Italy, Castleton Music Festival, the Atlantic Music Festival, and Brancaleoni International Music Festival. She is a Past-President of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and a member of the American Academy of Teachers of Singing. Her singing career spanned the US and Europe. Students have sung with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Covent Garden, European opera houses, on Broadway and national tours. She received her undergraduate degree from Luther College and did graduate work at Yale University and Kent State University. In 2013 she was presented with the Weston Noble Award by Luther College.