Karen Jeter

PROFILE:
Karen Jeter has been an active Fine Arts advocate in Arkansas for over 29 years, passionately promoting the arts as a public school orchestra teacher, professional violinist, university conductor, Suzuki teacher, youth orchestra director, and frequent guest clinician. Highlights include teaching orchestra at the Fort Smith Public Schools, performing with the Fort Smith Symphony, founding/directing the River Valley Suzuki School of Music and founding/directing the Fort Smith Symphony Youth Orchestras.

Prior to Arkansas, Ms. Jeter was Director of Orchestras at the School Town of Highland in Indiana for 7 years while performing with area professional orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as guest conducting for American String Teacher Association (ASTA) All-Region Middle School String Festivals, and Great Lakes Music Camp. In addition, she served as Assistant Conductor for the Jordon School of Fine Arts Butler University Orchestra, and the Greater Indianapolis Youth Orchestras.

EDUCATION:
Jordan College of the Arts, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN - Masters Degree, Conducting, 1997; Graduate Fellowship, Assistant Conductor of the Butler Symphony Orchestra; National conducting workshops: Indianapolis, IN, Columbia, SC, Minneapolis, MN, Madison, WI 1996-97

School of Music, Ball State University, Muncie, IN - Bachelor of Music Degrees, Violin Performance & Music Education, 1988; Young Artist Award, full tuition scholarship; Golden Key National Honor's Society; Undergraduate Concert Competition winner; Dean's List

Fairport Central School District, Rochester, NY (K-12), 1969-1982; Orchestra Concertmaster; Jazz combo takes First Place at All-State Jazz Competition (keyboard, violin), 1982

Suzuki Institute Certifications - Seattle, WA, Chicago, IL, Steven's Point, WI, Beaver Creek, CO, 1990-2015

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Concertmaster/Associate Concertmaster of the Fort Smith Symphony, 1997 to present; Leader of the Fort Smith Symphony String Quartet; Founder, Director and Conductor of the Fort Smith Symphony Youth Orchestras; Assistant Conductor, Jordan School of Fine Arts Butler University Orchestra; Assistant Conductor of the Greater Indianapolis Youth Symphony; University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Professor of Violin, Viola, and Piano; Founding Director/Conductor, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Orchestra; Lead faculty UA-FS Jazz and Improvisation for Strings Camp; Founder/Director of the River Valley Suzuki School of Music; Violinist with numerous professional orchestras in Indiana and Arkansas including the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Fort Smith Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, and the Northwest Arkansas Symphony; Violinist at the Grand Teton Summer Music Festival; Guest clinician at Suzuki workshops; Guest Clinician for American String Teachers Association (ASTA), Texas Orchestra Directors Association (TODA), and the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA)

COMMUNITY HONORS:
~ Fort Smith Junior League's "Leading Lady of Fort Smith" (Fort Smith, Arkansas)

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL HONORS:
~ Four Fort Smith Symphony commercial recordings on Naxos Records, Associate Concertmaster, (Florence Price, William Grant Still, and Louis Ballard)
~ Guest Clinician, ASTA, TODA, and SAA Professional Conferences

TEACHING HONORS:
~ Nominated for the 2026 "Arkansans for the Fine Arts, Teacher of the Year" Award (Fort Smith, Arkansas)
~ "Fort Smith Public School Proud Honor"
~ "Distinguished Commendation Award," Board of School Trustees, School Town of Highland (Highland, Indiana)

VOLUNTEER SERVICE:
Fort Smith Symphony League, President-elect; Mercy Hospital; Ambassador for HOPE Campus (homeless shelter); Montessori School Presenter (healthy diet and lifestyle); Fort Smith Humane Shelter; Cancer Support House, Ronald McDonald House