Burton Karson Obituary

(1934-2025)

Burton Karson passed away at home in Irvine on March 26, 2025 at the age of 90.
Music was the focus of Burton's personal and professional life, and his first distinction was as a boy soprano soloist at St. Paul's Cathedral in Los Angeles, where music was composed especially for him. Upon graduation from high school, he attended USC, from which he earned all of his degrees, culminating in a doctorate in music awarded in 1964. Along the way he was invited to join several honorary fraternities for music students. His affiliation with USC continued long after he completed his academic studies. Later in life he served as president of the School of Music Alumni Association and in 2011 he was inducted into the Trojan Half-Century Hall of Fame.
Burton's professional life in music included academic positions at Glendale College and Cal State Fullerton, where he taught from 1965 to 1997. Upon retirement, he was named a professor of music emeritus. In addition to his teaching, he performed piano and harpsichord concerts numerous times on campus and in other parts of the United States. Burton was also a well-respected organist and choir master at a number of churches in Southern California. For many years, he presented pre-concert lectures for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.
Orange County's cultural scene has been greatly enriched by the annual Corona Del Mar Baroque Music Festival that Burton helped to create in 1981 and which he served as artistic director for many decades. Its annual June concerts continue to attract many patrons. Additionally, he was one of the founders of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and a prominent supporter of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.
Burton is survived by his sister, Kay Poggi, and his nephew, Gregory Gandrud (Marllus), and many friends.