Karen Stewart
Exposure to music for Karen Stewart began at the age of eight, when she started five consecutive years of piano lessons. Loving the piano but, for some reason, embracing the clarinet, she also learned to play this second instrument and held the distinguished first-chair at Jack Yates for her entire three years of high school. This love of music did not diminish while she attended Prairie View A and M University. She was often called upon to render musical selections for her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., as well as other organizations on campus.
As a teenager, she sang in the church choir (St. Mary's U.M.C.) and was often the featured soloist. When she joined Windsor Village United Methodist Church (Houston, Texas) over twenty years ago, she was blessed with several professional experiences: recorded with Hanq Neal; recorded, with her pastor, the title track on the cd Welcome to the Village; recorded with Kathy Taylor and the Choraleers as well as with this group when it was renamed Kathy Taylor and Favor. While singing with the latter, she traveled the country extensively and appeared, several times, on the renowned gospel program Bobby Jones Gospel. She also sang for the Queen of England during her visit to Houston, TX. The group was called upon to perform for the promotion party of the Disney production, Lion King when the venue appeared at the Wortham Theatre.
She has served as supervisor for Katco Arts Academy theatre arts summer youth program funded by the Work Source been called upon to facilitate workshops on worship for conferences throughout the city and country. She has served as interim Minister of Music for Living Waters UMC and Minister of Music for Fellowship of the Fountains. She is currently a lead vocalist for the No Greater Love Concert, which is a yearly benefit concert held to aid underprivileged organizations in the greater Houston area.
Although Karen has worked as an Electrical Engineer, math teacher/professor, and school administrator, presently, she is the Coordinator for the Center for Academic Support at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University. On Sunday mornings, this anointed lead soloist renders gospel in-song to congregations ready to receive her and be changed by her spirit-filled melodies.