Caroline Hartig, professor of clarinet at The Ohio State University, is an internationally acclaimed clarinet soloist, recording artist and pedagogue. She has appeared as soloist with orchestras and contemporary music ensembles and performed in major venues throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, including Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Symphony Hall (Boston), the Fritz Reiner Center for Contemporary Music, Tokyo, Munich, Perugia, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. She has also performed with numerous ensembles such as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic, and the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra.  

Her acclaimed discography includes the Clarinet Brilliante series (Centaur Records), honored as a “Critics’ Choice” by American Record Guide, which praised her artistry as “mastery itself…dazzling with blazing fluidity and luxuriant fervor….coiled virtuosity.” Clarinet Brilliante was further cited in an Overview of Woodwind Recordings as one of the “best of the best” for clarinet solo recital literature, and selected as “Editor’s Choice” by Clarinet and Saxophone (Great Britain). Other recordings include Clarinet Brilliante II (Centaur 2808); Dancing Solo (Innova 512), featuring the works of Libby Larsen; and Chalumeau (Centaur 2965), a collection of benchmark unaccompanied works by Denisov, Donatoni, Clair, and William Bolcom, whose Chalumeau was commissioned and premiered by Hartig in Tokyo. Her most recent release, CaraClarina: Caroline Hartig plays Classical to Klezmer, Vol. 1 (BRH Records), showcases her versatility across repertoire.  

A champion of new music, Hartig has commissioned, premiered, and recorded works by leading composers including Pulitzer Prize winners William Bolcom, Donald Martino and Libby Larsen, as well as William Thomas McKinley, Charles Ruggiero, Don Freund, Brant Adams, Paul Schoenfield, among others. In 2018, the International Clarinet Association commissioned Scott McAllister to compose Suite Caroline, for solo clarinet, dedicated to her artistry.  

Internationally recognized as a teacher and juror, Hartig has appeared as guest artist at festivals including Clarinet and Klezmer in the Galilee (Israel) and the Corsi Internazionali di Perfezionamento Musicale in Cividale del Friuli (Italy). She has served on juries for the International Clarinet Association Young Artist Competition, the Fulbright Panel for Wind Instruments (New York City), the Ruth Lewis International Clarinet Competition (Tel Aviv), and the Ghent 5th International Clarinet Competition (Belgium), and has been a clinician at the International Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. A past president of the International Clarinet Association, Hartig received the prestigious Honorary Member Award for lifetime achievements in performance, teaching and professional service, at the 2024 Clarinetfest® in Dublin, Ireland. 

Hartig earned degrees from The Ohio State University (BME), New England Conservatory (MM), and the State University of New York at Stony Brook (DMA). Her principal teachers and mentors include Harold Wright, Robert Marcellus, Charles Neidich, Michele Zukovsky, George Silfies, Donald McGinnis, Robert Titus, David Hite, and renowned chamber music coaches Artur Balsam, Roman Totenberg and Sam Baron. She previously taught at Michigan State University, Ball State University, and the Oberlin Conservatory.  

Caroline Hartig is an Artist for Buffet Crampon Paris/USA, Vandoren Paris/USA, Silverstein Works, and Pyne Clarion (Columbus, Ohio), and plays the model CK.