Monterey Symphony

Karen Kirk Thielen
Harp

Karen Kirk Thielen began her harp studies while attending Lowell High School in San Francisco, California. She studied four years at the University of California, Santa Barbara, with summers at the Music Academy of the West, and continued in the Graduate Studies program with renowned harpist and teacher Lucile Lawrence at Boston University and the Tanglewood Institute in Massachusetts.
Ms. Thielen spent two seasons as principal harpist of the Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de México, followed by five seasons with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Pops, and Houston Grand Opera. Since returning home to California in 1986, Karen has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, San Jose Symphony, Carmel Bach Festival, Mendicino Music Festival, and Cabrillo Music Festivals. She is currently principal harpist for the Monterey Symphony and Opera San Jose and harp instructor at San Jose State University and Santa Clara University. She lives in Menlo Park with her husband, Monterey Symphony timpani player Peter Thielen, and their daughter, Maia.

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