Duo F.A.E. +1: Iconic Piano Trios

In 2012, Duo F.A.E. was co-founded by violinist Charlene Kluegel and pianist Katherine Petersen who had become close friends, having met at the Aspen Music Festival several years prior. The duo takes its name from the motto of virtuoso violinist Joseph Joachim and composer Johannes Brahms “Frei Aber Einsam” meaning “Free but Alone.” The duo brought new meaning to this motto, doing all of their rehearsing and concertizing while living in Canada and the U.S. respectively at the inception of the ensemble. Both share a passion for Brahms and his circle, and in fact Petersen and Kluegel have both ended up pursuing doctorates that would lead them to do considerable research on the composer and his works. Duo F.A.E. has performed extensively across Canada and the U.S. and their combined forces as a duo have been described as being filled with “virtuosity and maturity” (Hill and Hollow Music.) The duo seeks to present concerts that feature chamber music in its rawest form by joining two voices into one.

Program:
Felix Mendelssohn
Trio No.1, Op.49 in D Minor
I. Molto allegro ed agitato
II. Andante con moto tranquillo
III. Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace
IV. Finale: Allegro assai appassionato

Astor Piazzolla
Selections from “Seasons”
III. Winter
IV. Spring

Dmitri Shostakovich
Piano Trio in E Minor, Op.67
I. Andante
II. Allegro non troppo
III. Largo
IV. Allegretto

Dr. Jun Seo started playing cello at age 13 and he soon attended Seoul Arts High School where he won the 1st prize from the Seoul Young Artist Chamber Music Competition. During his high school years, he came to the United States to study abroad and attended the Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA. He received the 2nd prize from Newton Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition, Elizabeth Harper Vaughn Concerto Competition, the International Chamber Music Society in Boston and the Sorantin International String Competition. He received a 1st prize from Mid-Texas Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, Colorado College Summer Music Festival Concerto Competition and UT Butler School of Music String Competition. He has also received Best Instrumentalist award from Sidney Wright Competition and two honorable mention awards from Sidney Wright Competition, Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition. He soloed with the Mid-Texas Symphony Orchestra, University Orchestra at the University of Texas-Austin, Colorado College Summer Music Festival Orchestra and Austin Civic Orchestra. Dr. Seo was an adjudicator for numerous competitions, such as University of Texas String Project at Austin, Texas Strings Camp, Austin Chamber Music Center, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Suzuki Program and Jackie McGehee Young Artist’ Competition.

He received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the New England Conservatory School of Music in Boston in 2009. He received a Master’s of Music Degree and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Music Performance from the University of Texas at Austin studying under Professor Bion Tsang. At the same time, he was a teaching assistant for Professor Tsang and a faculty member at the UT-String Project for three years. Dr. Seo received full scholarships to attend the Heifetz International Music Institute, StonyBrook Summer Music Festival, Killington Music Festival, and Colorado College Music Festival. In 2013, Dr. Seo was a resident artist at the Lake George Music Festival in Lake George, NY. From 2010-2015, Dr. Seo was a music director at Austin Korean Presbyterian Church. He also was a cello faculty member at Omaha Conservatory of Music Summer Institute, String Orchestra Camp at Webster University Community Music School, Chamber Music Encounter at Webster University Community Music School, Austin Chamber Music Center, Songbird Rising String Camp at Austin, Assistant Director at Texas Strings Camp Young Artist Division and he also was a cello instructor at various public schools in Austin area.

Dr. Seo has studied cello with Jin-kyung Chee, Hee-song Song, Laura Blustein, and Yeesun-Kim. He also played in Cello masterclasses of Brinton Smith, Laurence Lesser, Alexander Baillie, Ralph Kirshbaum, Peter Wispelwey, Lynn Harrell and Anner Bylsma. He has collaborated with artists such as David Ying, Phillip Ying, Mark Fewer,Yehonatan Berick, Lynn Chang, Thomas Landschoot, Sheila Browne, and Christof Huebner. In the summer of 2009, Dr. Seo performed alongside the Cappella Choir of Seoul Theological University in their European tour. In the summer of 2014, he toured several European countries such as Switzerland and Scotland with the Austin Eurythmy Ensemble. Recently, Dr. Seo recorded the cello part for “Learning Together: Sequential Repertoire for Solo Strings or String Ensemble Volume 2 by Laurie Scott, Winfred Crock and William Dick”. He has maintained a full private studio since 2007. Dr. Seo currently is on the cello faculty at University of Illinois at Springfield and University of Illinois at Springfield Community Music School. Dr. Seo is also on the cello faculty, Traditional and Suzuki, at Webster University Community Music School.

Known for her “musical verve” (New York Classical Review) and “soaring violin providing a ray of light” by the Chicago Classical Review, violinist Charlene Kluegel is a versatile GRAMMY-nominated artist and dedicated educator.

Ms. Kluegel has concertized throughout North America, Germany, Switzerland, and China at venues such as the Strathmore, the Kennedy Center, the Zurich Tonhalle, Ravinia, the Banff Centre, and Orchestra Hall Detroit. On modern violin, she has collaborated with Jason Vieaux, Robert McDuffie, the Cuarteto Casals, Frank Huang, Sara Laimon, and Michael Kannen. And as a Baroque violinist, she appeared regularly as soloist for the Baltimore Baroque Band, and collaborated with the Washington Bach Consort, Elizabeth Field, and Cynthia Roberts. In 2012, she co-founded Duo FAE to promote the exploration the duo repertoire as chamber music in its rawest form. The violinist of Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble, Charlene Kluegel can be heard regularly on local and national radio broadcasts and on Cedille Records and the Dynamic Catholic labels. Always curious to expand her musical horizons, Ms. Kluegel collaborated on Patois’s explorative CD of Latin Jazz “Canto America” which was nominated for a GRAMMY – Best Latin Jazz Album in 2016.

An avid educator, Ms. Kluegel has given masterclasses at the University of Texas Austin, the McDuffie Center for Strings, Bowling Green State University, and Drake University. During the year she teaches violin and chamber music at the Music Institute of Chicago and has served on the jury of various competitions including the Society of American Musicians Young Artist Competition and the Chinese Fine Arts Society. Dedicated to the career advancement of students, Ms. Kluegel is currently completing her thesis “Preparing Orchestral Violin Excerpts: Tempo and Style Considerations from Mozart to Brahms” and serves on the faculty of Fresh Inc. Festival at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Prior to graduating from Cornell University, Ms. Kluegel studied at the Hochschule der Künste Bern. She completed her Master of Music degree under Pamela Frank at the Peabody Institute of Music where she also served as her studio assistant. As a recipient of the Indiana University Artistic Excellence Award, she is a Doctor of Music Candidate at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music under Jorja Fleezanis.

Described as a “strong and exciting performer” who plays with “musical feeling and great technical skill” by the New York Classical Review, pianist Katherine Petersen enjoys a versatile career performing and educating young musicians across the nation. Petersen has appeared in concerts throughout North America and Europe in venues such as The Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Empire Saal at Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, Jordan Hall, Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall, Place des Arts’ Maison Symphonique in Montreal, and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall. Uniquely interested in the collaborative aspects of a pianist’s career, Petersen co-founded Duo F.A.E in 2012 with violinist Charlene Kluegel and she is in demand for regular performances with local and national artists. Currently she is the core pianist for Chicago based Fifth House Ensemble, an ensemble whose middle name is collaboration. With Fifth House Ensemble, Petersen can be found playing concerts across the nation, and internationally. In the past she has held staff collaborative pianist positions at the Conservatory and Schulich School of Music of McGill University, Killington Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra’s Standard Life Competition.

Petersen gave her debut solo recital at the age of twelve, and hasn’t stopped enjoying her love for performing since. After appearing in concert at the Heifetz Institute as a teenager, Petersen was invited to perform in the inaugural concert at the Abramson Family Recital Hall at the American University in Washington D.C.. She also made her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 16 after winning first place in the Chamber Music Foundation of New England’s Competition. Her performance was described by renowned reviewer Edith Eisler as “real music-making, concentrated and deeply felt.” Recent past season highlights have included performances at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, Grand Teton Music Festival, Bella Concert Hall at Mount Royal University, Eastman School of Music, and collaborations with artists such as Jason Vieaux and Charles Castleman.

Petersen is in demand as an educator and enjoys giving clinics and workshops at the top music schools across the nation. She has held teaching positions at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, McGill Conservatory of Music, Merit School of Music, and is currently on faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago and the Fresh Inc. Festival. Ms. Petersen is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and Schulich School of Music of McGill University where her principal teachers included Vivian Weilerstein, Stéphane Lemelin, and Sara Laimon. Ms. Petersen also serves as the Artistic Director of the Society of American Musicians, an organization that seeks to promote young performers through concert events and an annual competition.