Grammy Award-winning conductor Karen Kamensek’s expansive artistry coupled with her deep commitment for championing composers of the 20th and 21st century is reflected in her work in both the opera house and on the concert stage. This season, as a testament to her remarkable versatility as a musician, she makes several important debuts. From Puccini’s Tosca with London’s Royal Opera House to the world premiere of Adam Schoenberg’s Cool Cat with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Seattle Symphony and soloist Jan Lisiecki, each debut showcases her unique ability to adroitly straddle a diverse repertoire. Ms. Kamensek’s 2023/24 season is one of no less than nine debuts and several high-profile and welcome returns. In addition to her first time leading the Royal Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Seattle Symphony she makes debuts with the Sydney Symphony, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Orquesta Sinfónica RTVE, and Colorado Symphony. Ms. Kamensek served as the Music Director of the Staatsoper Hannover from 2011-2016. She has also served as the 1st Kapellmeister at the Volksoper Wien (2000-2002), Music Director of the Theater Freiburg (2003-2006), Interim Music Director at the Slovenian National Theatre in Maribor (2007-2008), and Associate Music Director at the Staatsoper Hamburg (2008-2011). Frequently in demand as a guest conductor with many of today’s most prominent opera companies and orchestras, Ms. Kamensek’s recent opera highlights include her performances with the English National Opera; Welsh National opera; the Metropolitan Opera in Glass’ Akhnaten—for which she won a 2022 Grammy; the Lyric Opera of Chicago the Royal Swedish Opera and the Opéra National du Rhin. Recent orchestral highlights include a return to the BBC Proms with the English National Opera Orchestra, for a unique project that combines music, dance, theater, video, audio soundscapes and haute couture conceived by countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo; her first appearance with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall in London and her debut with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin at the Ultraschall Festival. This is her first appearance with the IPO.