She is a cellist born in The Netherlands who won the Princess Christina Competition when she was 16 years old. She studied at the University of Southern California and the New England Conservatory of Music.
She became a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1995 where she became an in-demand soloist and performed Penderecki’s Triple Cello Concerto with the orchestra under the conductorship of Charles Dutoit. She has also been a soloist in the CSO’s NOW series and later on at New York’s Lincoln Center at the world premiere of Dai Fujikura’s cello concerto.
Other orchestras and ensembles she has played with as a soloist include the Chicago Sinfonietta, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra, the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, the Hague Philharmonic, the Highland Park Strings, the Illinois Philharmonic, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra.
As a chamber musician she has worked in collaboration with artists that include Christoph Eschenbach, Lynn Harrell and Yo-Yo Ma and performed in the Symphony Center Presents music series. She was a member of the Chicago Chamber Musicians from 2006 to 2010 and played at the Marlboro Music Festival and in the Rising Star Series at the Ravinia Festival.
Known for her ability to move easily between styles and genres of music she was hailed “Chicago’s first lady of the cello” by Timeout Chicago Magazine.
Recordings she has performed on include her featuring on African Heritage Symphonic Series Volume III with Paul Freeman and the Chicago Sinfonietta and Stir with Bill Mackay. Other recordings include Verse by Patricia Barber, David Leisner: Acrobats by the Cavatina Duo, Brahms: Violin Concerto/Sonata No. 3 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Come On Up by Brian Culbertson, Doors Chicago: Storylines by Caroline Davis Quartet, Hybrid Child by District 97, Abandoned Time by the International Contemporary Ensemble, Suite for Max Brown by Jeff Parker & The New Breed, Two Different Days by Rob Parton’s Jazztech Big Band and Manafon and Sleepwalkers by David Sylvian along with many others.
In the field of musical education she became a featured teacher at Lessonface in 2020.
Sources:
- http://www.katinkakleijn.com/band
- https://www.iceorg.org/katinka-kleijn
- https://www.classicalconnect.com/Katinka_Kleijn/181
- https://www.cedillerecords.org/artists/katinka-kleijn/
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/997516-Katinka-Kleijn
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/997516-Katinka-Kleijn?type=Credits&filter_anv=0
- https://www.lessonface.com/instructor/katinka-kleijn