Karen Wagner
Vice President for Academic Affairs

Karen Wagner was born in Philadelphia and grew up in a small college town near Valley Forge, Pa. She earned a B.A. in music from Hood College in Maryland and an M.M. in voice from the Manhattan School of Music, as well as an M.A. in English education from N.Y.U. Before her arrival at Juilliard, she served as director of financial aid and placement services at the Manhattan School.

Karen Wagner

What are the most striking differences between Juilliard now and when you first started?

When I arrived in 1978 as a financial aid counselor, we were entering the building on 66th Street. We joked that it was the service entrance. There was no sense of community whatsoever—just glimmers of warmth, like Annie Gilbey (Nora Downes's predecessor) who sat at the security desk, greeting us with her soft Welsh accent. I had no sense of any interaction between students and faculty outside their departments. That has changed dramatically. Not only are we entering the School now facing Lincoln Center, but a rich sense of community has created a real campus.

What do you remember about your first days at Juilliard?

I remember that Juilliard was preparing for its 75th anniversary. There was to be a festive dinner at the Plaza Hotel with performances by all divisions. I was thrilled to be invited. Val Kilmer performed with Linda Kozlowski that evening. They sang a depressing folk song in a very low key. I'll never forget that. It seemed a bizarre choice, especially as we consider the exuberance of this year's centennial activities.

What is one of your favorite memories from your years here?

The two-and-a-half years involved with the Mozart bicentennial at Lincoln Center are still a favorite time. I was asked to be the coordinator for Juilliard's participation. It was the first time that all constituents of Lincoln Center collaborated on a single project—to perform in public concerts all of Mozart's 626 compositions. Juilliard was assigned about 200-odd pieces including many juvenile works not intended to be heard in concert. The project brought me into contact with a wide circle of faculty and colleagues, people I wouldn't ordinarily have worked with. We had a great time making it fun and informative for the audiences and the students.

How has your current position changed or evolved in the years you've been in it?

In my time here, I've had six different titles and worked in four departments, all on a progressively interconnected path to where I am now. I came into my current position in 1994. "Academic Affairs" is one of those amorphous titles that can include almost anything and everything, but it ultimately addresses the key academic issues of student and faculty life: curriculum development; student support and advisement; and institutional policy and compliance. Over the years, I've tried very hard to maintain a closer connection to the people than to the processes. That's a daily struggle, especially as academic life becomes more and more complicated with federal and state compliance issues.

What is the strangest job you've ever had and what made it so?

I spent one day as a complaints consultant for the Sheffield Watch Company—probably good experience for some of the counseling I've had to do since then.

Did you continue pursuing your art, and if so, how do you balance your job and your artistic endeavors?

I've always been torn between music and writing. When I came to the city, I performed as a pastoral musician (singer and guitarist) until my administrative duties in higher education took over. After graduate studies in English education, I was able to delve into writing by teaching a graduate elective here—a writing workshop that focuses on a musician's professional needs in that area, such as biographies, program notes, and funding requests. On the creative side, I've found that writing has been a great source of healing and joy. It was my privilege to collaborate with faculty member Eric Ewazen on a song cycle of five poems written in the early '90s.

What has been your best vacation?

Vacations that take me into the wilderness are pure heaven. The most memorable one was a week spent with family and friends—all told, 10 of us—on a houseboat on Lake Powell (Utah). It was just water, red sandstone, and sky. By day, we explored trails and canyons; and by night we slept in sleeping bags on the roof of the houseboat under a spectacular canopy of stars. It was breathtaking.

What might people be surprised to know about you?

While I was registrar, I was in a folk-rock trio that was featured on the Yale radio station.