Charlene
Kluegel

Biography

Violinist Charlene Kluegel is recognized for her versatility as a soloist and chamber musician, performing across modern and Baroque violin repertoire as well as contemporary music. Fluent in four languages and having lived on three continents, she maintains an international career collaborating with musicians throughout Europe and the United States.

Her performances have taken her to major concert venues including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Musikverein, Tonhalle Zurich, Chicago Symphony Hall, the Strathmore, and Orchestra Hall Detroit, as well as festivals including the Ravinia Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival.

As a concerto soloist, she has performed Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Carthage Philharmonic and upcoming performances of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra and Kurt Weill’s Violin Concerto with the Carthage Wind Ensemble.

A passionate chamber musician, Kluegel served for seven years as first violinist of the Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble. She is the co-founder of Duo FAE, whose album featuring music by suffragette composers was released on Albany Records in 2025. Her recording work includes participation in the Grammy-nominated album ##INLINE8##, nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album.

An advocate for contemporary music, Kluegel has premiered works by Dan Visconti, Julia Adolphe, Steven Snowden, and Stacy Garrop. She has presented masterclasses at the Eastman School of Music, Northwestern University, University of Texas at Austin, and the McDuffie Center for Strings.

Kluegel holds degrees from Cornell University, the Peabody Institute, and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she earned her Doctor of Music as a recipient of the Artistic Excellence Award. She studied with Pamela Frank, Jorja Fleezanis, Susan Waterbury, Stanley Ritchie, and Monika Urbaniak. She performs on a 1780 violin by Antonio Gragnani and is an artist sponsored by Larsen Strings.