Artist Spotlight: Karen Christianson

Karen E. Christianson '17 By Mac G Schumer

For the typical student, the thought of balancing a full course load with a rigorous international concert schedule may seem impossible. Then again, Karen E. Christianson '17 is not a typical student. The world-renowned organist’s talents have earned her both immense praise and invitations to perform at a number of esteemed venues, including the Notre Dame, Salzburg Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey, where she is currently the youngest soloist ever to play. This week, Christianson sat down with The Crimson to discuss her musical beginnings and aspirations.

The Harvard Crimson: How did you first become involved with the organ?

Karen E. Christianson: I’d been playing piano for a year before I started organ. I picked up the organ when I was 7 because my dad plays, and he got a tiny one for our house so he could practice. I saw the builders putting it together, piece by piece, and I saw my dad playing with his feet, which was…the coolest thing in the world as a 7-year-old. From there I asked my dad to start teaching me, and after a year, he realized that I needed a real teacher. I ended up studying with Alan Morrison at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

THC: Did you ever consider taking a year off to pursue music?

KC: School is my number one priority. I had considered going to music school, but I didn’t actually end up applying—I decided that wasn’t the route I wanted to take yet. I wanted to come to a place like Harvard where I could explore my interests in other disciplines and music and still keep up the organ, because there’s such a vibrant organ community here, more so than other schools.

THC: Do you think the skills you’ve picked up from playing the organ have helped you in other aspects of your life?

KC: Absolutely. A lot of what comes with playing the organ—playing any musical instrument, really—is that there’s a lot of dedication and a lot of practice hours that go into it. You have to be really committed to getting the finished product you want. It’s a lot about having a vision. You have this piece in front of you, and then you have to decide to spend this amount of hours studying it, and then you put in the time to learn the notes. And what’s more than just learning the notes is creating your own interpretation of the piece, because everyone plays it differently, depending on their own experience. A lot of my organ teachers have influences on the way that I play, and it’s kind of interesting to put together different views and kind of formulate my own interpretation.

Karen E. Christianson '17 By Mac G Schumer

THC: You’re the youngest person to ever play at Westminster Abbey, and the first woman to play at Eton. Do you ever feel pressured to continue on that trajectory?

KC: I think…there is pressure. Especially because there are other young organists studying really intensely at conservatories and learning a bunch of new repertoire that I don’t necessarily have enough time to devote to as they do, because that’s what they study—that’s what it says on their diploma when they graduate. Obviously I’ve had to adjust my concert and practice schedule since being here because things are more intense. But I think that I can still do it. I definitely want to continue on that trajectory because I just…love sharing music and my passion with other people.

THC: Is that what you would say is the most fulfilling part of playing the instrument?

KC: I think as I’ve gotten older, the most fulfilling part has changed for me. When I was younger, it was more the power you feel when you sit down at the organ and it’s like, “Oh, I’m making all this noise.” But now, I’ve started to realize the impact the music can have on people—seeing how music can lift people’s spirits and make people happy. The most fulfilling part is when you play a concert and then someone comes up at the end and says, “That made my day so much better. Thank you for playing for us.”

THC: How do you see yourself continuing with organ after college?

KC: I’m not really sure what I’m going to do in terms of career path. That’s why I’m exploring my interests while I still can. There may come a time when I have to decide whether I’m going to continue with science as a career. I love science research, especially biochemistry, and I know that I still want to continue performing as much as I can—it’s just a matter of if I’ll play professionally or kind of have two careers. But no matter what, I’ll still play organ.