Violinist Charlie Siem displayed remarkable promise from an early age, embarking on international tours at 16 and establishing himself as an accomplished performer while still in his twenties. Known for his striking presence in fashion circles, he has issued recordings on major imprints including Warner Classics and Sony Classical.
Born in London on January 14, 1986, Siem is the son of businessman Kristian Siem and a distant descendant of the nineteenth-century Norwegian violinist Ole Bull. He grew up with three sisters who shared artistic interests. Drawn to the instrument after hearing Yehudi Menuhin’s radio performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, and absorbing his mother’s classical recordings, he began violin studies at age three. Concerto engagements followed by the time he turned 15, and at 18 he appeared with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. His schooling encompassed Eton College, Girton College at Cambridge University, the Guildhall School of Music, and the Royal College of Music in London, where his mentors were Itzhak Rashkovsky and Shlomo Mintz.
Early engagements placed him alongside Miley Cyrus, Boy George, and The Who in pop settings, while Katy Perry and Lady Gaga publicly expressed admiration for his playing. He also featured in the Italian men’s fashion magazine L’Uomo Vogue. His first recording, issued in 2008 on Challenge Classics, paired him with pianist Andrei Korobeinikov in sonatas by Elgar and Grieg.
Siem has performed with leading ensembles across Britain and internationally, among them the Bergen Philharmonic and Oslo Philharmonic of Norway, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Moscow Philharmonic. Festival appearances have taken him to Spoleto, St. Moritz, and Gstaad. Signing with Warner Classics in 2011, he released the album Charlie Siem Plays Virtuoso Violin Works and followed it with further recordings that included the concertos of Wieniawski, Bruch, and Bull. He later moved to Signum Classics for the 2014 release Under the Stars, returned in 2020 with Between the Clouds, and in 2022 presented Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra on the same label.
