Kleven Music

For over 15 years, the musicians at Kleven Music have provided the highest quality entertainment and music for weddings, parties, and private concerts. Each event is customized to reflect our client's needs and requests. When you hire us for your event, you are welcome to unlimited consultations to ensure everything is perfect. Your guests will feel as if they are being treated to a special private concert by some of the finest musicians in the Chicagoland area!

Phillip Kleven holds a Masters of Music and Graduate Performance Diploma in Violin Performance from The Hartt School of Music and a Bachelors of Music in Violin Performance from Bradley University. His principal teachers include Anton Miller and Marcia Henry Liebenow (As a freelancer and teacher of both the violin and viola, Phil thrives on sharing his love of music with others through performing and educating.)

Phil currently teaches string students of all levels at Music Makers of Western Springs and PM Music. During the summer, he is a teaching assistant at the Birch Creek Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin. Before returning to the Chicagoland area, Phil taught in Peoria, IL, and across New England.

In addition to an active teaching schedule, Phil performs with numerous orchestras. He has appeared as concertmaster of the Hartt Symphony, Hartt Opera and Pit Orchestras, Wheaton Symphony and the Bradley University Symphony, and is currently a member of the Peoria Symphony and Resurrection Orchestra at St. John Cantius Church, Chicago, IL.

Phil has performed with a range of prominent artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Emanuel Ax, and Andre Watts, as well as collaborating with members of the Chicago Symphony, Chicago Lyric Opera, and New York Philharmonic.

With a passion for chamber music, Phil has attended music festivals across the country, collaborating with talented peers under the tutelage of many accomplished artists, including James Buswell, Gregory Fulkerson, Oleh Krysa, Lara St. John, Piotr Milewski, and the Miami and St. Lawrence String Quartets.

How do the musicians dress?
The musicians dress is formal concert attire unless otherwise requested: Men in tuxedos or dark suits and tie, and women in all black or evening gowns.

What do you require at the venue?
Our groups requirements are minimal - armless chairs for all musicians, and ample space to perform our best - about 8 by 8 feet.

Will you perform outdoors?
Yes! If there is rain in the forecast, we will play under a covering, at no additional cost to you.

There is a special song I would like played at my event. Can you do that?
We have hundreds of titles in our library, but if your request is not in our current repertoire, we'll add it at no cost to you. If your request is not published for one of our ensembles, we will have it professionally arranged for the group. Fees for this service are very reasonable.

Are the musicians I see on your website the ones who will play at my event?
Yes! On rare occasions, due to illness or unavailability, one of our players may be replaced with one who has experience playing with us, and is familiar with our repertoire.