With a Twist | Jazz Cabaret

Charlie Widmer is an acclaimed and award winning multi-genre singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, actor, and guitarist based in Connecticut. He received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Western Connecticut State University in 2016 and has been professionally singing and performing ever since.​

Originally born in Zürich, Switzerland, Charlie is half-Swiss and half-Puerto Rican. His love for music was evident, even as a young child, singing along to songs in the car and performing in school shows throughout elementary school. His parents loved music and listened to a wide range of styles and genres. Charlie’s grandparents were also musicians. His paternal grandmother was a classically trained soprano and both of his maternal grandfathers were singers. One of Charlie’s grandfathers was also a guitarist and bought him his first guitar when he was 12 years old. He has been playing ever since. Charlie didn’t discover his voice, however, until he was 16 and in his junior year of high school. Auditioning on a whim for his first musical, Grease, Charlie landed the lead role of Danny Zuko.

From that first experience, the trajectory of Charlie’s life changed. Originally intending to pursue science, he chose to attend college for vocal training, deciding that the best road forward would be to study classical singing. Performing as Tony in West Side Story for his senior year, Charlie wrapped up high school and started auditioning for colleges and decided to attend Western Connecticut State University. It was during his time studying vocals at WCSU that he found a love for the opera art form and classical singing. In college, he performed roles such as Alfred from Die Fledermaus, Martin in The Tender Land, and Camille de Rosillion in The Merry Widow.

Upon graduating with his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, Charlie started professionally singing. His first television appearance was a solo performance of the well-known aria “Una furtiva lagrima” on the Swiss television series Die grössten Schweizer Talente (Switzerland’s Got Talent). Charlie received a standing ovation from the audience and four emphatic yeses from the judges that night. In 2017, he made his debut with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, performing as Freddy in My Fair Lady and then as Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls. He also had the honor of singing at Opera Palooza, an annual event held on the New Haven Green in conjunction with Salt Marsh Opera. In the winter of 2017, Charlie rounded his year off in An Ivoryton Playhouse Christmas Hour with David Pittsinger at the historical Ivoryton Playhouse. In March of 2018, Charlie traveled with Opera Theater of Connecticut to perform at The Sanibel Festival in Sanibel, Florida. He then returned to Connecticut to perform in Salt Marsh Opera’s commissioned work of Jack and Jill and the Happening Hill as Jack. During the summer of 2018, he performed in a cabaret theater series by Ivoryton Playhouse in conjunction with Water’s Edge Resort as a featured singer and guitarist.

In the fall of 2018, Charlie sang in his first production of La Boheme as Parpignol, and in the spring of 2019, he starred in his first production of The Magic Flute as Tamino, both with Salt Marsh Opera. Charlie has also sung with 30 Seconds to Mars at City Winery in NYC, with Josh Groban at Madison Square Garden for his Bridges tour and at Radio City Music Hall for his Josh Groban’s Great Big Radio City Show, with Sarah Brightman at Radio City Music Hall for her Hymn tour and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Long Island University, and St. George Theater on Staten Island for the A Christmas Symphony tour, and with Michael Bublé at Madison Square Garden for the Higher tour. Charlie also has two albums he helped write and produce with two of his bands—one as lead singer of Sub-Urban (Hip-Hop/Soul) and the other as singer/guitarist of the award winning On the Trail (Bluegrass). He is still an active member of both groups.

Charlie is currently represented by Professional Artists Agency in NYC for theater, television, and film.