Karen Sovak

TRAINING CHOIRS DIRECTOR - Karen, a native of Schenectady, New York, comes from a family of musicians - saxophonists, violinists, choral conductors, church organists, and even a few vaudevillians! Karen majored in Music Education at SUNY Potsdam and pursued further musical studies with several noted classical saxophonists. One of the primary saxophonists in her life at this time became her husband, George Sovak. Karen also indulged her love of the visual arts and pottery-making, with classes at SUNY Albany and then at the Corcoran Art School in Washington, D.C. where she also began her career teaching young children at the Rudolf Steiner School in Falls Church, VA.

In 1972, Karen and her husband returned to the Northeast, settling in a picturesque historic farmhouse in what was then rural Avon, CT. Karen and several friends founded the Spinners/Weavers Group Project, a medieval style guild for fabric artists at the Farmington Valley Arts Center. To escape the encroaching suburban sprawl of metropolitan Hartford, Karen and George moved to Winsted, CT where Karen established herself as a private teacher of flute and saxophone, and founded the College Recorder Consort.

Beginning in 1988, The Children's Discovery Center in Winsted, CT became the happy recipient of Karen's considerable creative, teaching, and organizational talents. As Head Teacher and Director, Karen expanded this arts and language-based program for pre-school children, winning National Accreditation for the school's innovative, experiential curriculum.

Karen has been singing in Gaudeamus since the ensemble's founding in 1991 and has worked with Paul Halley at his recording and music publishing company Pelagos, as General Manager since 1998. Karen continues as Director of the Chorus Angelicus Training Choir, helping very young people to explore and rejoice in their emerging musical potential.