American Soprano Karen Vuong is currently performing in her Seattle Opera debut as Trang and the Nurse in the world premiere of Amelia, directed by Stephen Wadsworth.

Karen was an inaugural member and two-year participant in Los Angeles Opera’s prestigious Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program, which is designed to support the future of opera by discovering and developing the talents of exceptionally gifted young artists.

Her debut season at LA Opera included performances in Wagner’s Tannhäuser, and Massenet’s Manon (as cover for Pousette). She later appeared in several other LA Opera productions, including Kurt Weill’s The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (alongside Patti Lupone and Audra McDonald), and Zemlinsky’s The Dwarf. Karen also starred as Mimi in LA Opera’s student production of Puccini’s La Bohème, which was conducted by Plácido Domingo. In 2008, she debuted at the Kentucky Opera as Sophie in Massenet's Werther. She has also appeared in the role of Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen performed at the Hollywood Bowl, with Denyce Graves in the title role.

In 2009, Karen performed internationally in Hong Kong in a concert performance of Symphony No. 8 by Mahler.

Karen has received several notable honors. In 2006, she won the Prize CulturArte at the distinguished Operalia International Competition in Valencia, Spain. As the winner, she was invited to Puerto Rico to perform an honorary televised concert. Other honors include 4th Place at the 2009 Loren L. Zachary Competition and 2nd Place at the 2003 Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition.

Karen was born and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. She attended her first opera in middle school where she was deeply inspired by the art form. She began to cultivate her musical ability at the Hamilton High School Music Academy and soon began professional opera lessons.

She continued her studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) studying under Professor Juliana Gondek and performed in countless university opera productions. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music from UCLA in 2006. Upon graduation, she was invited into the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program where she studied under many opera legends, including Plácido Domingo. She is currently studying with Mr. Cesar Ulloa.