Karen Schubert, Horn

Fast Facts

  • Principal Horn of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, including multiple concerto performances

  • Solo Horn with Timberdale Brass

  • Member of Opera Philadelphia Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and Atlantic Classical Orchestra

  • Artist Faculty, Wells School of Music at West Chester University

Karen Schubert, whose playing has been hailed as “soulful” and “jubilant,” is one of the most sought-after musicians in the middle Atlantic region and beyond. Her horn playing resounds in any number of settings, from large orchestral stages, to the opera pit, and right into an uptown red-hot jazz club.

As Principal Horn in the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, she has led the charge from onstage in innumerable symphonic works, and also out in front as a featured soloist. She holds the same title in the Academy of Vocal Arts Opera Orchestra, the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, and the Kennett Symphony of Chester County, and also completes the sections of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra. She is in the Greater Philadelphia area, including the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia Ballet, and Ocean City Pops.

A founding member and solo horn with the Timberdale Brass, Karen displays both her virtuosity and her versatility in this brass and percussion sextet, putting her own flourishes on completely original arrangements of early jazz, little-known gems from the early 20th century, and familiar favorites from the great American songbook.

When not performing in these groups, Karen can be heard in collaborative chamber music settings, featured as a concerto soloist, or onstage in support of major headline acts like The Who, Joni Mitchell and Andrea Bocelli. She has recorded on the Naxos label and was featured in the PBS-aired Christmas at Westminster.

Karen currently serves as adjunct professor of horn at both the Wells School of Music at West Chester University and Cairn University and has held similar positions at the University of Delaware, Immaculata University, and Widener University. She is also a faculty coach with Bravo Brass, an ensemble of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Long Island native resides in Harleysville, PA with her husband, musician and artist Jonathan Schubert. When her horn is in the case, she can often be found with a chef’s knife, a crossword puzzle, a kayak paddle or a very good book.