Karen Verm
Visiting Assistant Professor, Director of Opera and Vocal Coaching
Originally from Beaver, Pennsylvania, pianist Karen Roethlisberger Verm has recently been appointed as Director of Opera and Vocal Coaching at West Virginia University.Prior to her position at WVU, Ms. Verm was on faculty of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, serving as Artist Teacher of Opera Studies. She has also been employed at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, where she had served as vocal coach and Opera Coordinator, as well as the Chamber Music Coordinator.
A frequent recitalist, Ms. Roethlisberger Verm has performed on Dallas Art Museum’s Music and Masterpieces series (with her husband, baritone Craig Verm), Pittsburgh Song Collaborative, Music in a Great Space series, Pittsburgh Concert Society series, and the Vocal Arts Resource Network Artsong Competition series. Ms. Roethlisberger Verm also regularly appeared with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and collaborated with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Pittsburgh Opera, in the Opera orchestra as well as with the Education Outreach Program. In addition, she has performed as part of the Brevard Music Festival, Lyrique-en-mer Festival (Belle-Ile, France), Robert Page Festival Singers (Budapest, Hungary, and Vienna, Austria concert tour), Duquesne University, Aspen Music Festival, and Rocky Ridge Music Center, among others.
Ms. Verm is a graduate of Syracuse University (BM, Piano Performance) and University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (MM, Piano Performance; MM, Vocal Accompanying; and Artist Diploma, Opera Coaching). She resides in Cheat Lake with her husband Craig, daughter Lauren, and her dog, Stella.
