Karen Blalock
Adjunct Instructor of Violin/Viola
morblalock@comcast.net
Karen Blalock pursued violin performance degrees at the University of Utah and Brigham Young University.
Her teachers include David Shand, Oscar Chausou, John Chatelain, Percy Kalt, and Clyn Barrus.
Karen taught in the secondary schools of Granite, Jordan and Alpine Districts for twenty-eight years. She
maintains a private studio of forty to fifty students. She has been a member of the Salt Lake Symphony, Salt
Lake Opera, Promised Valley Play House, Utah Valley chamber Players, Utah Baroque Ensemble, Nacht Music,
and the Alpine String Quartet. For over twenty years she was a member of the Utah Valley Symphony,
performing both violin and viola, and serving as String Personnel Manager, Orchestra Vice President and
President.
Karen has served as an adjudicator for the National Federation of Junior Music Festivals, American String
Teachers Association, Utah Sterling Scholar, and Public School Region and State Solo Ensemble Festivals. She
has also served as President of the Utah Youth Symphony (in conjunction with the Utah Symphony), a string
coach for Utah Youth Symphony, Docent for the Utah Symphony, public school string consultant and guest
masterclass clinician for the Utah Music Educator’s Association and several colleges and universities. As a guest
presenter for the 2009 ASTA Fall Workshop, her presentation topic was: “Making Festival participation a
positive experience for students.” A strong advocate of performance injury prevention, Karen presented a clinic
on this topic at the 2003 UMEA Mid-Winter Clinic.
Karen served as a string coach to UVU’s Symphony Orchestra in preparation for their 2003 Carnegie Hall
performance. She also served on the Pleasant Grove City Arts Council and was the Cultural Arts Director for the
Pleasant Grove First Night Celebration. She has directed and produced the patriotic firesides “Remembering
Honor” (Col Jay Hess, POW, 1998), and “Let Freedom Ring” (Senator Robert Bennett, 2001).
Adjunct Instructor of Violin/Viola
morblalock@comcast.net
Karen Blalock pursued violin performance degrees at the University of Utah and Brigham Young University.
Her teachers include David Shand, Oscar Chausou, John Chatelain, Percy Kalt, and Clyn Barrus.
Karen taught in the secondary schools of Granite, Jordan and Alpine Districts for twenty-eight years. She
maintains a private studio of forty to fifty students. She has been a member of the Salt Lake Symphony, Salt
Lake Opera, Promised Valley Play House, Utah Valley chamber Players, Utah Baroque Ensemble, Nacht Music,
and the Alpine String Quartet. For over twenty years she was a member of the Utah Valley Symphony,
performing both violin and viola, and serving as String Personnel Manager, Orchestra Vice President and
President.
Karen has served as an adjudicator for the National Federation of Junior Music Festivals, American String
Teachers Association, Utah Sterling Scholar, and Public School Region and State Solo Ensemble Festivals. She
has also served as President of the Utah Youth Symphony (in conjunction with the Utah Symphony), a string
coach for Utah Youth Symphony, Docent for the Utah Symphony, public school string consultant and guest
masterclass clinician for the Utah Music Educator’s Association and several colleges and universities. As a guest
presenter for the 2009 ASTA Fall Workshop, her presentation topic was: “Making Festival participation a
positive experience for students.” A strong advocate of performance injury prevention, Karen presented a clinic
on this topic at the 2003 UMEA Mid-Winter Clinic.
Karen served as a string coach to UVU’s Symphony Orchestra in preparation for their 2003 Carnegie Hall
performance. She also served on the Pleasant Grove City Arts Council and was the Cultural Arts Director for the
Pleasant Grove First Night Celebration. She has directed and produced the patriotic firesides “Remembering
Honor” (Col Jay Hess, POW, 1998), and “Let Freedom Ring” (Senator Robert Bennett, 2001).