Klingsmith siblings release Classical CD

It’s never too early to become a musical star. Sibling music duo Elizabeth and Julien Klingsmith have taken advantage of that and have released their very first CD.

The Klingsmiths, Gunnison valley natives, have been musicians their whole lives. 

Elizabeth has played piano for about 11 years, starting in the second grade. She has taken lessons under the instruction of Alicia Belgiovani, a well-known local pianist and organist, and Dr. Martha Violet, an Emeritus Professor of Music at Western Colorado University. She is currently a freshman at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she studies philosophy, literature, and natural sciences. After graduation, Elizabeth hopes to study music education and become a teacher.

Julien is a sophomore at Gunnison High School. He has been playing the violin for almost eight years since he started in the second grade. His training has come from retired WCU professor Ken Todd and Assistant Professor of Music at Colorado Mesa University Brian Krinke. He has performed with the Gunnison Orchestral and Vocal Academy, will perform a Christmas concert with the Young Artists Pathways Program, and is preparing to try out for 2027 Colorado All-State Orchestra.

Julien and Elizabeth have both studied music theory at Gunnison High School and describe music as a powerful communication tool to express what words cannot. They’ve played as a violin and piano duo occasionally over the years through performances such as First Friday Art Walks. They recall their first duet being Pachabel’s Canon in D.

Over the summer, the two decided to take a step and record a CD highlighting their musicianship. Their album, titled 3+3=6, brings together six of their favorite pieces, three from each musician. They wanted to represent their individual work and shared musical journey. 

“We decided on a kind of a honeycomb, hexagon theme,” said Julien. “It seems auspicious, but it’s the most efficient way to cover space and appears a lot in music. Six really felt like a good number for us.”

They chose pieces that were meaningful to them and aimed for an eclectic mix of technical and expressive works from different musical periods. The list includes pieces from Handel, Mozart, Bach, Mendelssohn, Massenet, and Bartok, and listening time is just under 20 minutes. 

“It was a good way to record where we are in our musical abilities right now,” said  Elizabeth. “And we can look back in the future and see how we’ve grown.”

Elizabeth reached out to Dr. Ben Justis, Chair of Music and Assistant Professor at WCU through email to check availability for a summer recording session. Justis, who served as their tracking and mixing engineer, noted that working on the project was a great way to keep his studio skills sharp while assisting talented young local musicians. 

The recording session took place at Quigley Records, a facility located in Quigley Hall on the Western campus featuring three sound-isolated tracking rooms and a main control room. While the studio is regularly used by WCU students and faculty for classes, rehearsals, and projects, it is also available for public booking at a low cost. During their time in the studio, the duo learned about professional studio workflows, microphone setup, and digital editing, completing multiple takes to ensure the highest quality sound.

“Julien and Elizabeth really prepared and engaged with the recording process at a level beyond their age,” said Justis. “They were flexible, positive, prepared, and did well under pressure. Recording makes even professional musicians nervous. You are making a permanent representation of your sound and interpretation, but they did a great job making fixes between takes.”

For the CD art, they used a picture they had taken in California for the cover and a photo of the mountains in Crested Butte to pay homage to where they grew up. They worked with local graphic designer and friend Lauren Hunt to finalize the art, which features two yellow hexagons framing the title and a track list on the inside cover. Both gave thanks to their parents, Kelsey Bennett and David Klingsmith, for their endless support and of course, to their audience for listening.

3+3=6 is available for purchase for $5 at Dobrato Resophonic Guitars on Main Street with the help of their friends Kent and Chris Viles. With Dobrato closing soon, Julien and Elizabeth hope to expand their distribution to other music and art businesses in town.