Karen Willough

Karen Willough, grew up in New York and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. After completing undergraduate education at the College of New Rochelle, she went to New York University for graduate studies in Psychology. She quickly discovered that the field was not for her and bounced around in an assortment of jobs while continuing to study music and pursue a songwriting career. Karen met music producer michéal Castaldo when they were both members of the Songwriter's Guild of America, at offices located in New York. He produced several of her original compositions. After marriage, a child, living on another continent, and traveling to over 25 countries, Karen returned to the world of music. She sang with Capella Sint Jan in The Netherlands for several years, before returning to the U.S. Since 2012, Karen has been singing with Chicago's prestigious Mount Carmel Morning Choir under the direction of Paul French, as well as other choral groups. Karen made her solo debut with "Tra le tue Braccia" in 2016. It was followed by the duet "World without You" with Chicago jazz musician Michael Jones, who also plays trumpet in the song and video. Karen continues to perform at clubs in the Chicago area.