Trombonist and educator Dr. Karen Marston is currently on the faculty at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California, where she works with brass players in both applied and chamber settings, and teaches academic music courses.  Karen holds degrees in trombone performance from the University of North Texas and Rice University, and both a masters and doctorate in music education from Columbia University, where she was the recipient of the Elin B. Stein Graduate Fellowship. Her teachers include Jan Kagarice, Dr. Vern Kagarice, Dr. Royce Lumpkin, and David Waters.  As founder and Artistic Director of Omni Brass, a cutting-edge, multi style brass and percussion ensemble, Karen has performed and taught at venues and festivals around the world, including the University of Texas at Tyler, Baylor University, Lamar University, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, the Texas Christian University Trombone Summit, the Houston Symphony League Chamber Music Series, the San Jacinto College Brass Symposium, Menil Fest (Houston), and Café Corotu (Panama City, Panama).

In 2017, Omni will be featured at the International Trombone Festival in Redlands, CA, and will premiere a new work by Las Vegas-based composer Charles Halka, as a part of the Frame Dance (Houston) New Music for Dance Project.  Karen has also performed with the Houston Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, the Ebony Opera Guild, Orchestra X (Houston), the American Radio Chamber Orchestra, the Composers Orchestra of Houston, the Resonance Brass Choir, and a national touring production of A Christmas Carol.  As an arranger, Dr. Marston’s work can be heard on both Omni Brass releases – The Red Album (2014), and Omnify (2016). Karen currently serves on the Advisory Board of the International Trombone Festival, and is an Artist for Rath Trombones, England.