About |
Craig Klonowski is a New York City–based singer-songwriter and educator whose recording artist business blends original releases, high-impact live performances, and community-rooted education initiatives. His songs live at the intersection of folk-rock, Americana, alternative, and country—“melancholy but hopeful” stories shaped by the resilience he sees in students every day.
As a recording artist, Craig develops repertoire end-to-end: writing, arranging, producing, and releasing tracks supported by on-brand visuals and targeted outreach (public radio, arts presenters, festivals, and education partners). Recent releases have been submitted for GRAMMY® consideration across multiple genre fields, including Americana, Alternative, Country, and Rock (e.g., “Milestones,” “One Last Night,” “Wreck of a Man,” “Makin’ Promises,” and “I Disappear”). Performances scale from solo (voice + acoustic guitar/keys) to small ensemble, with clean, radio-friendly edits.
A cornerstone of Craig’s business is his education and community practice. He founded a Title I school music program in Spanish Harlem and now directs eight orchestras at a large Manhattan public middle school, partnering with organizations to take hundreds of students each year to their first Broadway shows. His ensembles have appeared at the Apollo Theater and The Shed via the Manhattan Borough Arts Festival. He also founded The Half Full Institute, a nonprofit that expands access to instruments for young musicians.
On the performance side, Craig is principal double bass with the United Nations Symphony Orchestra (UNSRC)—a role he’s held for over a decade—and has appeared with the United Nations Chamber Music Society and New York–area orchestras and opera companies. Earlier in his career, he built stagecraft on cabaret and theater stages and performed with regional symphonies across the Midwest.
Craig’s background spans composition for film and multimedia as well, including College Emmy Humanitarian Award–recognized scoring work with additional festival selections. He holds a B.M.E. (The Ohio State University) and an M.M.Ed. (Cleveland State University, Pi Kappa Lambda), where he also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. Pre-college studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and The Music Settlement inform his orchestral sense and song-first arranging.