Karen Parker began to study the harp at the age of thirteen and attended the
Royal College of Music Junior Department where she won the Gordan Turner
Prize for Harp and several prizes at other London music festivals.

Karen moved to Manchester in 1993 to study at the Royal Northern College of music where she was awarded an Exhibition Scholarship and the David Dunn (Yorke Trust) Prize

Since graduating with Honours, Karen has been working as a freelance player in the North West with orchestras such as the Liverpool Philharmonic, Halle, Northern Chamber and Northern Sinfonia. She has also worked on UK tours for various Ballet, Viennese and pop companies. 

She has recently performed harp concertos by Mozart, Ravel and Debussy as well as continuing an interest in contemporary music through various Multimedia Projects with Birmingham Jazz and “Okeanos” (involving Harp, Oboe, Art and Dance)  Karen has appeared in backing orchestras for TV’s Stars in their Eyes and on UK tours with Russell Watson and Barry Manilow.