Robert Klieger (percussion)

Robert Klieger is the principal percussionist for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. Previously, he was a member of the West Virginia and Canton symphony orchestras, and he completed a fellowship with the New World Symphony, where, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas, he had the opportunity to perform as both an orchestra member and a soloist.

Throughout his career, Klieger has performed with many ensembles, including the Chicago, Detroit, Hawai’i, Kansas City, St. Louis, and San Diego symphony orchestras, and he’s participated in international tours with The Cleveland Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra. In the 2019–20 season, he joined the San Francisco Symphony for a one-year appointment as percussionist. Klieger has also appeared at various summer festivals, including the Verbier, Aspen, and Santa Fe Chamber Music festivals and the Center for World Music Workshop and Festival in Bali.

Robert Klieger holds a bachelor-of-music degree from Southern Methodist University, where he studied with Douglas Howard and Kalman Cherry. He later completed postgraduate work at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Richard Weiner and Paul Yancich. In his free time, Klieger enjoys building things, solving problems, traveling, and trying new local cuisines.