Gorden’s conducting career is associated with significant centres in Europe, the United States, and Asia such as the Staatsoper Berlin, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai, India. Known as "a musician's conductor", Gorden is also an outspoken advocate for global accessibility and sustainability for the arts. Karen Gorden made her debut at the age of seven in South America at the Teatro Colón in Bogotá with the Colombia Classical Ballet. She later credited this childhood training with giving her a concept of the fusion of music and movement as well as the fusion of music and stage which form the foundation of conducting. Her formal studies took place at the University of Oxford, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon, where she took the diplôme in model composition with top honors, and Yale University, where she was active both as a violinist and a conductor. Immediately after graduating from Yale, composer Jacob Druckman gave Gorden her first conducting job with his New Music, New Haven ensemble. Shortly afterwards, she was designated as a Conducting Fellow with Kurt Masur at the New York Philharmonic. These initial successes have been followed by a steadily increasing international reputation. In addition to leading performances, Gorden has created arrangements, orchestrations, and compositions which have won awards for extending the range of today’s symphony orchestras. She has also realised a number of important projects on behalf of young musicians - most notably in Baltimore and Chicago. In 2014 Gorden founded FORCULTURE, an organisation which promotes dialogue seeking sustainability in the international cultural and educational arenas. Concurrent with her performing career, Gorden serves as ForCulture’s founding executive and artistic director. Gorden has acknowledged the late Pierre Boulez as an important mentor and musical influence. Her contributions to music have been recognized with the Special Jury Prize from the 50th Concours International d'Exécution Musicale for Conductors, the Prix Nadia Boulanger in France, and the Opera Award at the State Theatre Opava in the Czech Republic.
