Fiddle, Violin, Piano
Hailing from the backroads of Des Moines, Iowa, violinist Katie Klocke enjoys an eclectic career as an orchestra and chamber musician, educator, and translator. She also develops original music for electric violin.
At four years old, Katie heard a fiddler at the state fair, and her lessons in violin began shortly thereafter. Since then, her love of music and travel has provided opportunities to study various musical practices and to concertize in many different contexts and continents. From playing contemporary Bulgarian music in Sofia to learning Quechua songs in Cusco, Peru, Katie has followed her inspiration to learn how diverse traditions resonate in today’s world.
Katie completed her Master’s Degree at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden with the aid of the generous University of Gothenburg Study Scholarship and a grant from the Adlerbert Foundation. She focused her studies on both orchestral playing and improvisation. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in music and English literature from the University of Iowa.
Her classical training includes studies with Patti Ruisch, Dr. Scott Conklin, Allen Ohmes, Ralf-Carsten Brömsel, Marja Inkinen-Engström, as well as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s elite training program, the Civic Orchestra. She has played in masterclasses for James Ehnes, Mi-Kyung Lee, Barbara Doll, Eszter Haffner, and Daniel Avshalomov and has had the opportunity to share the stage with Yo-Yo Ma, Jaap van Zweden, Truls Mørk, Christian Zacharias, Deltron 3030, and many other wonderful performers.
A Suzuki kid herself, Katie pulls much pedagogical inspiration from the Suzuki method which emphasizes an aural approach, stepwise growth, and a focus on nourishment of the student as both musician and human being. She is certified in Suzuki Books 1-4 and also has experience teaching in El Sistema and other group methods.
Katie currently lives in Chicago and performs in various contexts. She can be seen and heard in various regional orchestras, Chicago hip hop collectives, collaborations at the Neo-Futurist Theatre, and in her folk duo, Driftless Famous.
Started at the Old Town School in September of 2019
