MYRON FINK, composer - The Conquistador: "The conductor is the one who really creates the whole performance. She sets the tempo, the spirit and the momentum. Music notation is an approximate thing and Karen, who had a remarkable, intuitive grasp of the piece, defined exactly what I meant." **

John Keyes, tenor: "She's a singer's conductor. By that I mean it's as if she's singing with you, breathing with you. It felt like she was inside me and knew exactly when I needed more time, without my having to give physical evidence, like turning blue or nodding my head up and down to go forward.

"Some conductors are very metronomical and look at the music as a kind of scientific formula. Karen automatically knows what breaths are needed, just by listening." **