The Grebel community is looking forward to July 1, 2017 when Dr. Karen Sunabacka joins the faculty as Associate Professor of Music. She will teach music theory and composition, and continue her active work as a composer, performer, and scholar.
Karen is currently Associate Professor in Music Theory and Composition at Providence University College, in Otterburne, Manitoba. “Karen brings to her new position nearly ten years of teaching experience in music theory and composition and a familiarity with a community-focused music program,” noted Grebel’s Dean Marlene Epp. “Her scholarship as a recognized and innovative composer on themes of women’s voices, landscape and place, and indigenous histories, will make a significant contribution to Grebel, the University of Waterloo, and the broader community.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Karen as a colleague in the Music Department,” remarked Music Department Chair Laura Gray. “Karen’s passion for teaching and interacting with students was evident during her campus visit, and our students will be very keen to work with her.”
Karen’s music has been performed in Canada, the US, Brazil and the United Kingdom. Her most recent premiere involved a collectively written five-movement symphony, De Natura Sonorum, performed by the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Canada. Each movement was inspired by the natural beauty of a different Canadian region. Karen wrote Movement IV, titled “The Prairies.”
“At Grebel, I saw a community that offered academic spaces for research and teaching, spaces for artistic exploration, spaces for music and art, spaces for community worship, spaces for conversations, and spaces for friendship between academics, students, and the greater community,” reflected the new appointee, when asked what drew her to the job at Grebel. “I am looking forward to continuing to teach and compose in an interdisciplinary environment, but I am also excited about new creative and collaborative possibilities.”
“We are delighted to welcome Karen to Grebel and to Waterloo,” said Jim Pankratz, Interim President. “She comes with extensive experience and a high level of competence in teaching, composing, administration, and collaborative community engagement. She understands the distinctive mission of Grebel and is eager to contribute to it.”
Originally from Winnipeg, Karen graduated from the University of California, Davis with a PhD in Music Theory and Composition. In addition to her teaching and composing, she is the founder of the Providence Performing Arts School, she performs in chamber groups, and has a private cello studio.
