Karen Sunabacka

July 2022

Composer Karen Sunabacka is an Associate Professor of Music at Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo. She often finds inspiration from her Métis and mixed European heritage. She has deep roots in the Red River Settlement of Manitoba and feels a strong connection to the Métis, Scottish, Swedish and Finnish cultures. This mix of cultural connections sometimes creates conflicts and new perspectives which she finds both interesting and challenging. Her music reflects this cultural mix through the exploration of the sounds and stories of the Canadian prairies. With her mother Joyce, she has created works that explore family stories and the intersections of Indigenous -Settler relations and philosophies. Pieces they have completed include: Mama’s Painting: Louis Riel’s Dream for piano quartet (2015), I Wasn’t Meant for This for viola d’amore and percussion (2019), English Horn Concerto: In Memory of Beverly Clouston (2019) and …our inner lives were entwined…embroidered with the same pattern for solo piano (2021).