Karen Cummings has a Post Graduate Diploma of Opera and a Masters of Music Performance degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. While at the Sydney Conservatorium she won the award for best operatic singer of the year. She was invited to join the staff of the Sydney Conservatorium in 1995 and taught vocal studies for five years across the degree program, building a reputation for teaching contemporary art song repertoire and cross genre vocal works. She has also taught at the Australian Institute of Music during 2001, across music theatre, contemporary and classical voice.

At Wollongong Conservatorium Karen has expanded the range of vocal styles taught, and introduced a number of group classes including Music Theatre and Jazz Studies. She works with John Spence in the teaching of young singer/song writers, and has co-organised a number of workshops in this growing area

Karen has pursued a varied career as a performer and teacher. She is a regular recitalist specialising in new and cross-genre works, and is a member of the Kammer Chamber Music Australia, which specialises in contemporary repertoire. She has premiered several new Australian works including ‘Shadows and Dreams’ (Whitlam Institute, University of Western Sydney), ‘Tales of Love’ (Festival of Sydney), ‘Laquiem’ (Studio, Sydney Opera House) and ‘The Audience and Other Psychopaths’ with Nigel Kellaway and Stephen Adams and the Opera Project (Performance Space). Karen toured for Musica Viva with Ménage aTrois.

Of Karen’s several CDs, ABC Classics released the latest, Divaria Arias. She has regularly broadcast through ABC Classic FM and recorded sound tracks for film and television, including ‘Day of the Roses’ for Channel 10.As a principal singer for Opera Australia and the Victoria State Opera, Karen’s roles have included Adalgisa (Norma), Mercedes (Carmen), Waltraute (Die Walkure) and Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia). She has performed as a principal singer in the arena spectaculars of Carmen (Melbourne Tennis Centre) and Turandot (Sydney Stadium, Randwick).

Most recently, Karen has been part of the first Indigenous opera in Australia as voice trainer and cast member - Pecan Summer. It premieres this October in Melbourne.