Viola
BA San Diego State University
COURSES TAUGHT:
Applied Viola
CONTACT INFORMATION:
About
Appointed by Daniel Barenboim to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra viola section in 1997, Karen Dirks began her career in the first-violin section of the San Diego Symphony the same month she graduated from high school. She studied violin with Daniel Lewis (University of Southern California) and with Gilbert Back (a former member of the Berlin Philharmonic). As she worked toward her BA degree in mathematics, she continued violin studies with Josef Gingold and Joseph Silverstein; she later studied viola with Donald McInnes.
Principal viola of the San Diego Symphony from 1992 to 1997, Karen had served as that orchestra's concertmaster for four years. Concertmaster of the San Diego Opera Orchestra from 1980 to 1997, she was also concertmaster of the La Jolla Chamber and San Diego Master Chorale orchestras. She was principal viola of the New Hampshire Music Festival from 1985 to 2000.
Karen Dirks has appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the San Diego Symphony, Chicago's Music of the Baroque, the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, the La Jolla University Symphony, as well as at Marrowstone. Twice principal viola of the Mainly Mozart Festival, Karen has been a featured artist of La Jolla Summerfest and was a founding member of the Silver Gate and Artist Chamber ensembles in San Diego. She is a regular performer on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music series, often appearing with her daughter, pianist and oboist Jelena Dirks.