Harpsichordist and historical performance enthusiast, Sean Kleve, is dedicated to the wide world of historical keyboard instruments and what they can tell us about the repertoire of the past. Sean is the Lecturer of Harpsichord at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Mead Witter School of Music. As a long-time performer of Bach on modern and non-traditional instruments, Sean recently dove into the wide world of harpsichord and historical performance. Sean’s particular interests center upon an understanding of figured bass improvisation, historical tuning, the music of J.S. Bach, and early Italian Baroque music from the 17th century.
Sean performs solo and chamber recitals on the harpsichord. Sean’s recent performances include Just Bach, the Kleve-Rasmussen Duo, the Rocky River Gifts of Music Concert Series, and Generation Baroque. Sean was a featured guest artist on the Bach Around the Clock Festival in Madison, WI and on the Sunday Afternoon Live at the Chazen Concert Series performing solo Bach on both marimba and harpsichord. Always seeking more education and experience in early music, Sean is a student at Italian virtuoso harpsichordist, Marco Mencoboni’s Online Harpsichord Academy. He was a participant at the 2022-25 Madison Bach Musicians Summer Workshops and is joining the faculty in 2026. Sean is the owner of an Italian Cristofori/Ferrini Harpsichord built by David Sutherland in 1984.
In addition to being a harpsichordist, Sean is also a professional percussionist who has blended his knowledge of historical performance practice with the modern practice of playing Bach on the marimba. He has presented his keynote lecture, Bach on the Wrong Instrument in residencies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Northern Iowa, the Chazen Museum of Art, and the Percussive Arts Society Wisconsin Chapter. In this educational and performance-based lecture recital using both the harpsichord and the marimba, Sean makes compelling claims about the validity of Bach on the marimba and shows the possibilities of historically informed performance practice on modern and non-traditional instruments.
Sean was the founder and music director of the new music percussion quartet, Clocks in Motion in which he premiered dozens of new works for percussion instruments. Clocks in Motion toured widely throughout the United States, recorded two studio albums available on all streaming services, and curated the invention of new microtonal and electronic instruments that served as a creative launching creativity in new music.
Not only known for his performances of contemporary music, Sean has also been successful in the orchestral field. Sean is the historical percussionist and timpanist with the Madison Bach Musicians. Sean can be heard on the debut recording by the Chamber Orchestra of New York and has also performed with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the Dubuque Symphony, and the Quad City Symphony. In addition, Sean is a substitute percussionist/timpanist with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and the Madison Chamber Orchestra.
Sean holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Baldwin-Wallace University Conservatory of Music. Sean’s principal harpsichord teachers are Trevor Stephenson, Jason Moy, Tami Morse, and Marco Mencoboni.
Sean lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife, two kids, three dogs, and a massive board game collection. Sean maintains a rapidly growing private teaching studio of pianists, harpsichordists, and percussionists of all ages. For more information about upcoming performances, lessons, and videos of past performances, please visit seanklevemusic.com.