Karen Linstedt Delavan earned her BM in Piano Performance at the New England Conservatory, her MM in Collaborative Piano from The Juilliard School, and also held a Fellowship with The Juilliard Opera Center. Karen has worked for more than 30 years as a successful freelance coach and recital accompanist, including recitals at Weill Recital Hall, Westminster Choir College, and Cairn University. She held adjunct faculty positions at Seton Hall University, Long Island University and the Hartt School of Music, including two residencies at UT Austin – Butler Opera Center. Currently she is on the faculty of The Juilliard School, where she is Coach and Advisor for the MM and Graduate Diploma students at the Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts, while continuing to freelance in the New York area.

Karen has also held music staff positions with many notable opera companies including Santa Fe Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Sarasota Opera, Boston Lyric, Light Opera of New Jersey, Michigan Opera Theater, and The Spoleto Festival (Charleston). She has had the good fortune to work with exceptional artists including Victor DeRenzi, Jane Glover, Ernst Haefliger, George Manahan, James Meena, Joe Rescigno, Stewart Robertson, Emmanuel Villaume, Elly Ameling, Hans Hotter, Martin Isepp, Martin Katz, Marlena Malas, Hermann Prey, Harvey Shapiro, and Edward Zambara.