Karen Bjorge, Horn

Karen Bjorge is completing her fourth season playing 4th Horn in Portland Columbia Symphony. A native of Spokane, Washington, Ms. Bjorge began studying horn at age 11. While attending high school Karen was Principal Horn of the Spokane Youth Symphony for three years and was a founding member of the SYS Wind Quintet.

In 1993 Ms. Bjorge moved to Ellensburg, Washington to study at Central Washington University where she later received a Bachelors of Music in Wind Performance. While attending CWU, Karen was 2nd Horn in the Yakima Symphony and also regularly played in the Wenatchee Symphony, Mid-Columbia Symphony and the Washington East Opera. In 1997 Ms. Bjorge won the Brass and Percussion division of the Spokane Music and Allied Arts Festival. Ms. Bjorge has had the great fortune to have played in several master classes for prominent horn players namely Dale Clevenger, Froydis Ree Wekre, Douglas Hill, Richard Seraphinoff, and Ab Koster.

Since June 2000, Karen has been living in Hillsboro, Oregon with her husband Erik and their daughter Emma. Ms. Bjorge mainly freelances in the Portland area with the Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet, Vancouver Symphony (USA), the Oregon Symphony, and several chamber groups. In addition to her Horn position in CSO and Karen also serves on the Orchestra Board as the players representative.