Karen P. Lim-Smith

Karen Lim-Smith started playing the piano by ear at 2. Five years later, she went on to win her first piano competition. At 8, she had also picked up the violin. At 12, she was the youngest member to tour with the Penang Symphony Orchestra to Adelaide and Melbourne for the Adelaide Music Festival. That same year, she was the youngest musician selected to represent her country Malaysia with the ASEAN Symphony Orchestra in Thailand. At age 14, she went on to win her first major violin competition. Not only did she win the coveted first prize at the Mozart National String Competition, but also a free round-trip to Amsterdam to study with Theo Olof, the former concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. At 17 years of age, she won her first full scholarship abroad to study with Alice Waten at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. After graduating with a Diploma in Music with Distinction, she followed Waten to Australia, where she won another full scholarship to undertake her Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance at the Canberra School of Music, which is affiliated with the Australian National University. Three years later, she moved to Sydney to complete her Bachelor of Music degree with Honors at the Australian Institute of Music. While a student at the Canberra School of music, she was selected as the only Malaysian delegate to participate with the World Youth Orchestra. The orchestra toured the Philippines, South Korea, and Malaysia as well as Denmark and Germany. In 2002, Lim-Smith graduated with a Master of Music degree. In 2003, she graduated with a Master of Journalism degree from the University of North Texas (UNT). Still a student then, Lim-Smith studied the violin with Igor Borodin. Over the years, she has also studied with Amadeus Heutling (member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra), Emanuel Borok (former concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra) and Susan Demetris (former concertmaster of the Dallas Opera). Lim-Smith is a very active performer and teacher. Lim-Smith has toured with Andrea Bocelli and Diana Ross and the Supremes throughout the United States. She also appears frequently with The Dallas Opera Orchestra and The Tulsa Opera Orchestra during the operatic seasons. She also performs on baroque instruments with the Fort Worth Early Music and the Orchestra of New Spain. Lim-Smith still performs regularly with the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra. She strives for versatility in her playing as well as in her students’ playing. While a student at UNT, she picked up jazz violin, and was a founding member of UNT’s Swing Strings. She has also appeared with UNT’s Repertory Jazz Ensemble in a series of performances commemorating the indefatigable Duke Ellington. Lim-Smith has also performed as a soloist at the 2008 National Association of Composers USA (NACUSA) National Concert at the Eisemann Center in Dallas / Richardson, TX. In February 2009, Lim-Smith presented the world premiere performance of “Wayang” for solo violin, composed by Wieslaw V. Rentowski at the NACUSA Texas Conference at the Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. In February 2010, Lim-Smith presented the world premiere performance of “Appassionato” for violin and piano composed by Rentowski at the NACUSA Texas Conference at the University of San Marcos, Texas. In 2012, Lim-Smith presented works by Rentowski and Stephen Ip at the NACUSA – Texas Chapter concert at the Richardson Public Library. On October 3, 2013, Lim-Smith presented Rentowski’s “Wayang” at the Louisiana Tech University. On October 27, 2013, Lim-Smith presented the world premiere performance of Rentowski’s “Colla Parte” for solo violin and chamber orchestra with the DeSoto Chamber Orchestra. On Sept. 14, 2014, Lim-Smith presented the following works for the NACUSA – Texas Chapter concert at the Richardson Public Library: Rentowski’s “Solaire” for solo violin Ross Griffey’s “Dancing Shadows” for solo violin Deon Nielson Price’s “Stile Antico” for solo violin Bryce Cannell’s “Refractions” for string quartet Michael Lee’s “Farewell” for string quartet Crimson Rose’s “Bouquet” for string quartet Deon Nielson Price’s “Allegra Barbara” for string quartet She has been teaching professionally for the past 24 years. She has served in the violin faculty at the Canberra Youth Orchestra Society in Australia and the Community Music Program at UNT. She has also taught young students for the Australian Institute of Music. Her violin students were members of the Texas All-State Orchestras, All-Region 2, All-Region 20 and All-Region 24 Middle and High School Orchestras, Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, Greater Fort Worth Youth Orchestra and Lone Star Youth Orchestra, and have won gold medals at the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest (TSSEC). Lim-Smith is a member of the Denton Music Teachers Association, Carrollton Music Teachers Association, which are affiliated with the Texas Music Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association. The Smiths released six CD’s featuring the violin and guitar. In 2012, they released a Jazz Christmas CD called “Joyful” to benefit the orphans in the care of Buckner International and Shoes For Orphan Souls. In 2013, the Smiths launched Hits On Ten. Hits On Ten features both of them on violin and guitar. The launching of Hits On Ten coincides with the release of their 2nd CD entitled “Love’s In The Air: Volume 1.” During her spare time, she performs with her music students free concerts for hospice patients at: Hollymead – Skilled Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center – Flower Mound The Oaks Assisted Living and Memory Care in Flower Mound Flower Mound Assisted Living Rosewood Assisted Living - Flower Mound Lewisville Estates Assisted Living & Retirement Living – Lewisville Evergreen at Vista Ridge Senior Living – Lewisville Rambling Oaks Courtyard Extensive Community Care and Assisted Living – Highland Village From 2013 – 2014, Lim-Smith and her students have performed free hospice concerts for the following areas: Greenfield Residences of Arlington Villages on MacArthur – Skilled Care and Memory Care – Irving Town Of Flower Mound Senior Center Woodridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center – Grapevine Kindred Transitional Care - Grapevine Grapevine Senior Center – Grapevine Autumn Leaves - Grapevine Dancing River Assisted Living – Grapevine Stoneybrook Memory Care – Grapevine Meadwood Assisted Living - Grapevine River Oaks Assisted Living – Coppell Good Shepherd Hospice in Irving The Northgate Plaza – Irving Prairie Estates Nursing Home - Frisco The Plaza (nursing home) - Richardson Heritage House – Keller Mustang Creek – Keller Keller Oaks - Keller Lake Lodge Nursing - Fort Worth North Hills Hospital - North Richland Hills Sterling House – Watauga