performance

From an original album to  cover songs at the classroom piano

Conducting, bespoke arrangements, a little bit of everything

Hurt of It

Love & perseverance collide in a raw, relentless anthem of survival through heartbreak. Immersive vocals & rich instrumentation reminiscent of Johnny Cash’s American Recordings help Craig deliver a soul-stirring performance evoking the weight of love’s battles & victories. Shades of Rufus Wainwright & Glen Hansard meet the grit of Chris Stapleton, creating a timeless ballad for those who’ve endured the worst & are still standing. 

Comeback year

Four children sitting in the open trunk of a vehicle, making funny faces. One girl is leaning over another, who is holding a bag of snacks, while a boy in a yellow shirt sits behind them. A girl with pigtails is at the front, smiling and leaning forward. A book cover with the title "Hurt of It" and author's name "Craig Klonowski" is seen at the bottom.

I Disappear

Alt-rock with big dynamics about vanishing in someone else’s gravity—and taking yourself back. Clean-to-crunch guitars, live drums, driving bass; verses restrained, chorus explodes with stacked vocals. Lyrically raw but radio-lean. NYC indie teacher-artist. For fans of The Killers, Paramore (ballad mode), Brandi Carlile’s rock cuts.

Child sitting on a brick wall making silly faces by pulling his cheeks with his hands in front of bushes and trees.

Wreck of a man

Alt-folk confessional about divorce and rebuilding after you torch your life. Baritone vocal, finger-picked acoustic, upright bass, brushed drums; intimate NYC home recording. Hooks lean Americana with pop clarity. I’m a NYC public-school music teacher releasing my debut project—this single sets the tone: tender, gritty, hopeful. For fans of Brandi Carlile, Zach Bryan, Hozier.

ONE LAST NIGHT

What loves and losses haunt you? What could have been? Piano & guitar swirl in a velvety haze under earnest & mournful vocals.  Take a slow, hauntingly romantic dance through the heart-wrenching duet of cello & theremin – a sound mixing the melancholy of Rufus Wainwright & Orville Peck with the uniqueness of FINNEAS or Tom Waits. 

Nighttime scene with a graffiti-covered wall and a lit street lamp, blue sky visible through the trees in the background. The title "ONE LAST NIGHT" and author's name "CRAIG KLONOWSKI" appear over the bottom of the image.

MILESTONES

Immerse yourself in an evocative collaboration where legends meet modern icons. Producer & cellist Nick Anton, pedal steel guitarist Dan Iead (Norah Jones) & Michael Carmine DiBianco join Craig Klonowski’s 3rd single, “Milestones”, blending the timeless melancholy of Jackson Browne & Rufus Wainwright with the contemporary sounds of Orville Peck & Faye Webster.

A young boy dressed in white is playing a piano in front of a dark red curtain in a performance or practice space.

BACK HOME

After a long day of teaching middle school orchestra, playing bass with the UN symphony or walking his bull terriers, just as New York City falls still, Craig Klonowski sits in silence as his thoughts journey deep into his past.  "Back Home" is a journey through the loss, heartbreak and pain of coming out, the longing ache for a home that maybe never existed.  Acoustic folk melodies, piano, strings & soaring guitar take the listener on a journey back to Craig's experience.

The cover of a book titled 'Back Home' by Craig Klonowski shows a young boy with short brown hair wearing a red hoodie, with his hand near his mouth and a surprised or curious expression.
A young boy wearing a gray hooded jacket with red accents, smiling while holding a basket outdoors. The background shows parked cars and a building out of focus.

Promises

A slow-burn folk-pop anthem about the promises we make (and break) to survive—then choose better. Starts spare (acoustic + piano), swells with bowed upright bass, handclaps, and stacked harmonies into a cathartic final chorus. Written post-breakup in Manhattan; independent teacher-artist story. Uplifting, resilient, room-filling. For fans of Noah Kahan, JP Saxe, Brandi Carlile.

COMEBACK YEAR

There's something about the darkness after midnight, when the veil between memories & truth is thinnest, something that opens a door to new, hidden truths. That's when I craft my music: the late hours, when memories & reality blur. My debut single, "Comeback Year," captures this mysterious vibe, guiding you through a journey of deep reflection, heartbreak, and ultimately, hope.

cover songs

(ON A MIDDLE SCHOOL PIANO)

Galactica String QUintet

“SO PLAY WE ALL”

Born as a gift for my best friend’s wedding, from classical standards to jazz and rock arrangements, the Galactica Quintet is prepared to provide the soundtrack to your event. ( more samples available on the Composition + Arranging page)

SCHOOL CONCERTS

FROM MY LIFE AS A TEACHER

The Elephant by Camille Saint-Saens

Those Were the Days

A man singing into a microphone on stage, with the text 'I DISAPPEAR' in large letters and 'CRAIG KLONOWSKI' in smaller letters.
Reflection of a man with two dogs in glass window of a building on a city street, with text 'WRECK OF A MAN' and 'CRAIG KLONOWSKI' at the top.

Over the Rainbow from by Arlen & Harberg

Lili Marlene