Karina Bes works as a director, coach and performer in Musical Theatre. She is from The Netherlands and currently working in Shanghai, China. After graduating in Psychology and Criminology (Leiden University; MSc & BLaw), Karina decided to pursue a career in Musical Theatre. She graduated as Musical Theatre Performer at De Kunsthumaniora (Antwerp). Shortly after, she was accepted at the Professional School of the Arts (Utrecht; MA) and obtained a masters degree in Creative Development, specialising in Musical Theatre. She also graduated in Theatre and Education at Utrecht School of Performing Arts (BFA in Theatre, with Honours).

She attended the 2007 Directors Lab (Lincoln Center Theater, New York), for which she received a stipendium from the VandenEnde foundation. She was a member of the 2009 Nu-Workshop (M-Lab, Amsterdam), for which she received a stipendium from the Scholingsfonds voor Kunst en Cultuur. She is a co-founder of The Internationalists, a worldwide director’s collective. She is also a co-founder of F*K Theater, with succesful performances in The Netherlands, New York and Sydney.

Recent directing credits include Alice, Candyland (both iStage Academy, Shanghai), Smile, Chicago, Cabaret, Moulin Rouge (all CKC Zoetermeer, The Netherlands), The Hummingbirds (F*K Theater/The Internationalists), Levittown (F*K Theater, National Tour), Lucky (F*K Theater/The Internationalists, NYC), Christiane (F*K Theater, AFF) and The Wild Party (M-Lab, Amsterdam). As a performer, she played lead roles in musicals as The Wild Party, Rent and Jesus Christ Superstar. She is the lead singer of the musical theater duo Kar-Ma, together with pianist Maudy Apon. She also taught theater, musical and singing at diverse theater schools throughout The Netherlands. Currently she is the Director of Performing Arts at iStage Academy Shanghai.