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Karen Kamensek

Karen Kamensek
Photo: Spotify

About

Karen Kamensek (born 1970, Chicago) is an American conductor with Slovenian roots who has built her career across the leading opera houses and concert halls of Europe and North America. She held music director posts at Theater Freiburg (2003-2006) and Staatsoper Hannover (2011-2016), and won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for her conducting of Philip Glass's Akhnaten at the Metropolitan Opera. A committed advocate for 20th- and 21st-century repertoire, she is widely regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of Philip Glass's work.

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Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording (Akhnaten, Metropolitan Opera)
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Olivier Award-winning ENO production of Akhnaten (conducted by Kamensek, 2016)

What's new

  • 2026-07

    Kamensek conducted the world premiere of Philip Glass's Symphony No. 15 ('Lincoln') at the Tanglewood Music Center in July 2026.

  • 2025-09

    The Calgary Philharmonic announced Kamensek as its newly-created Principal Guest Conductor for the 2025/26 season.

  • 2025-26

    Kamensek returns to the Royal Swedish Opera in the 2025/26 season to conduct the Swedish premiere of Elena Langer's Figaro Gets a Divorce.

  • 2025-26

    Kamensek makes her debut with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting Glass's Akhnaten at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw.

  • 2024-25

    In the 2024/25 season Kamensek debuted at Houston Grand Opera (La bohème) and Semperoper Dresden (Candide), and conducted The Handmaid's Tale at San Francisco Opera and Moby Dick at the Metropolitan Opera.

Tour

CalgaryAmsterdamWashington D.C.StockholmLiègeLongborough

Tracks

Philip Glass: Akhnaten (Metropolitan Opera, 2019)Grammy Award-winning recording (Best Opera Recording 2022); Kamensek's Met debut
Philip Glass: Satyagraha (English National Opera)Part of Kamensek's long-standing collaboration with Philip Glass
Puccini: Tosca (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden)Kamensek's debut at Covent Garden
Philip Glass: Symphony No. 15 'Lincoln' (World Premiere, Tanglewood, 2026)World premiere conducted by Kamensek at Tanglewood Music Center, July 2026
Verdi: Requiem (Calgary Philharmonic, 2026)Conducted in her role as Calgary Philharmonic Principal Guest Conductor

😴 Nothing scheduled with this artist in the near future.

Past · 1

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