“The range of her voice appears to have no limit, and her penchant for changes of rhythm and atmosphere is fascinating. She uses her voice like an instrument; she vies with each of her musician, phrase after phrase. She braces each note, playing with her vocal chords like they were guitar strings. Karen Young goes through high and melancholic notes with ease and passion. With her refined style, she is like a great Lady of Song before her time.”—Montreal Gazette (1979)
“Karen Young does with sounds what Pellan does with colours. I have seen this wonderful woman sing in over ten languages and each time her heart was there. I know she found the soul of each language because I heard her sing in creole, and you can't lie to me in my mother tongue.”—Dany Laferrière (1993)
“Authentic and passionate, refusing artifice for sincerity. Karen Young deserves our attention. This Anglo-Quebecer shares with the public her sensitivity about the passions that inspire the planet.”—Le Soleil, Québec (1994)
“Young is an unclassifiable but responsible artist who touches pop, jazz, soul, rock, psychedelic, folk, world, contemporary, about every style of music with the appetite of an ethnomusicologist and an uncommon talent for interpretation. She frees her head, follows her heart and abandons herself to her body. Imagine Freedom in the form of a horse, dressed as an amazon, long hair flowing in the wind, galloping on untouched land; that's how fans love her...”—Sylvain Cormier, Le Devoir (1996)
“Her elastic vocals showcase a brilliant range that stretches from a feathery quiver to a ripping wail. Like Björk, Young uses her voice like an instrument and does so with deft precision. Certain tracks allude to Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard, while others echo vintage Joni Mitchell. Comparisons to opera goddess Jessye Norman are also quite valid. But it's Young's ability to perform in foreign tongues with a conviction that goes beyond language that is her artistic stamp.”—Nathalie-Roze Fischer, Now Magazine (1997)
“If in another life Karen Young was classified as a jazz singer, she carries in her sensitivity and insight of all styles: musique actuelle or classical music, french chanson, world music; nothing stops this instinctive voice to being openly generous, at every moment and whatever the style is, like a hand extended to Humanity. This full mezzo-soprano voice, agile as well as powerful, twirls around, grooves, improvises, shouts, houts, surfs on ethereal waves, become introspective to allow romantic or erotic poetry to take over entirely.” —Yves Bernard, La Presse (2007)
“Karen Young is a singer with an exceptional voice. To see her on stage was for me an experience of unforgettable intensity. I've rarely felt so much strength and candor coming from one voice. Like Dee Dee Bridgewater, she seizes this freedom that only jazz performers can handle. From jazz to medieval, this deliciously beautiful woman, easy-going and natural, full of life and humour, offers her talent like a gift, sharing moments from History, poetry carried by bewitching melodies. Bewitched is what happens when you let yourself carried away by the voice of Karen Young. Hurry to experience it before she decides to stop!” —Nathalie Bernier, Magazine Voir-section member (2007)
2000s
Premiere of Karen Young's Choral Universe, with the Choeur de chambre Tactus, directed by Francois A. Ouimet, & the English Montreal School Board senior choir, directed by Patricia Abbott
Career grant from the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec
Felix award (2008) for Ame, Corps et Desir, best classic vocal album
Sur la route sacrée du Oud — Festival des Musiques Sacrées, Quebec city , with Rebecca Bain, Catherine Herrmann, and Ismail Fencioglu
Hommage to Claude Vivier — Ame, Corps et Desir, with Josee Lalonde, Marcel de Hetre, Eric Auclair, and Pierre Tanguay
Hommage to Claude Vivier — Hymnen an die Nacht, solist for the Societe de Musique Contemporaine du Quebec, directed by Walter Boudreau
Jazz en Rafale 2008 with the Sylvain Provost Trio; video
ROSEQ tour 2007 for the Young-Auclair duo
Soloist for the soundtrack Nebbia, Cirque Eloize
Guest artist on the album La fin du monde by Michel Faubert
Guest artist on the album La gravité me pese by Urbain Desbois
Guest artist on the play La Cantatrice chauve by Eugene Ionesco, Theatre du Petit Champlain, Quebec
Launch of double album Ame, Corps et Desir; Chapelle du Bon Pasteur, Montreal
Soloist for North American premiere of Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen, Fuglar, Fe og folk, with the Societe de Musique Contemporaine du Quebec orchestra, directed by Walter
Boudreau
Premiere of Karen Young’s Canticum Canticorum, directed by Pepita Ferrari, at the Festival of Art Films in Montreal — Jury Award, Yorkton Film Festival 2007 — Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award to Marc Gadoury, Best photography in a performance 2006 — Nominated in competition at the International Festival of Audiovisual Programs 2007
Concert of her compositions with the students of Capilano Music School, Vancouver, directed by Rejean Marois
Concert of Fred Allarie — Les quatre basses — with singers Dawn Tyler-Watson, Nancy Martinez and Sonia Johnson, at the Jazz of Montreal Festival
“Medieval Jazz” with the classical choir Viva Voce, directed by Peter Shubert; Redpath Hall, McGill University
Musical soundtrack for Joseph’s Daughter, a film by Ilana Schwartz
Arrangement for string ensemble of two songs from the album La Couleur du Vent — Planete et L'ete — for Les Violons du Roy and participation in Radio-Canada's Earth Day special, animated by Jacques Languirand
Launch and tour of album La Couleur du Vent at the Spectrum
Artist for Peace Award 2003, participations over the years for such causes as: justice in Iraq, Afganistan, Haiti, Palestine, against capital punishment, support for Adil Charkaoui, events for the Federation des Femmes, Social Justice Committee, Collectif Echec a la Guerre, Human Civil Rights, etc.
Composition of Tryptich Ode to Nature, commissioned by Marie-Josée Simard: Migrating monarchs pour bass flute, for marimba and vibraphone — Spring Run off for marimba — L’heure bleue for vibraphone
Musical soundtrack for The Unsexing of Emma Edmonds, a film by Pepita Ferrari — Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award to Marc Gadoury, Best photography in a docurama
Prix Hommage (career award), from the Réseau indépendant des diffuseurs d'événements artistiques unis (RIDEAU) for the remarkable quality of her work and her contribution to Quebec's culture.
Musical soundtrack for Partition pour Voix de Femmes, a film by Sophie Bissonnette
Musical soundtrack for Joseph Giunta: A Silent Triumph, a film by Pepita Ferrari — Silver Chris Award, Columbus International Film and Video — Best Direction in a Documentary, Yorkton Film Festival, 2002 — Finalist for Freddie award, 2002 — Prix d'honneur, Festival International du Film au Féminin (Bordeaux, France) — Best Independant Video (Platinum), Houston Worldfest, 2003 — Nominated for Best Arts Documentary Gemini Award
Launch and tour of album Live in your Living Room, with Norman Lachapelle and Sylvain Provost
Nunc Dimittis, choral music
Launch and tour of the Oratorio Canticum Canticorum with 5 singers and 8 musicians
Nice Work if you Can Get it at the Nantes Jazz Festival, France
The trio, with Norman Lachapelle and Sylvain Provost, at the Festival of Stars, Bravo!
Theme song of the 2000 World Womens’ march, with Janet Lumb and Martine David — LISTEN !
1990s
Musical soundtrack for The Road from Kampuchea, by Anne Henderson
Musical soundtrack for Revoir Julie, by Jeanne Crepeau
Launch and tour of the album Nice Work if you Can Get it, at the Montreal Jazz Festival
Launch and tour of the album Second Time Around, with Michel Donato
In Rome, represents Canada for the UN building of desertification
Accapella duo Le mariage anglais, with Michel Faubert, traditional storyteller and singer
Musical score to Mariane Ackerman’s two plays, Celeste and Sliding in All Directions, which won the Masque for best English play
Launch of the album Good News on the Crumbling Walls, a musical journey through time and across borders; tour in Quebec and Canada with a sextet, including two backvocals, Lana Carbonneau and her daughter, Coral Egan
Cinq soirs au Theatre des Quat'sous; five consecutive nights, each with one or more musical styles
Tour in Quebec of Triple Sens, with Norman Lachapelle and Francine Martel
Karen Young, first solo album on Les Disques URSH label
1980s
The Young & Donato era: Extensive tours in Quebec, Canada and Europe, at Jazz Festival venues, TV and radio shows
Contredanse, by Young & Donato, won a Felix award for best jazz Album in Quebec in 1988
Album Young & Donato, nominated for a Juno award
Billion Dollar Loan Shark, video directed by George Mihalka
Young Latins, a haitian-cubain jazz fusion, with Eval Manigat, Lazaro Rene and Tim Jackson
Lead roles in musicals Mata Hari and Angel, written by David Rimmer and Edward Knoll
Professional Queen Mary Road United Church choir for 10 years, specializing in Rennaissance and 20th century choral music
Early music, gregorian chant with the group, Llibre Vermell and the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, directed by Christopher Jackson
1970s
The Bug Alley Band: a jazz-country group with her brother Doug Young and David Thompson, which became a vocal bebop group with Mike Pinsonneault and Steve Cole, later joined by Andre White and Liz Tansy.
Launch of record Bug Alley, which was the best vocal jazz album of the year according to DOWNBEAT
The song Garden of URSH on the Canadian “Hit Parade”
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