Claudia-Maria Klinkenberg was born in Bonn in 1964. After graduating from high school in 1983, she studied musicology in Bonn for two semesters. From 1984 to 1992, she studied piano in the Bachelor's and Master's programs at the Karlsruhe University of Music, where she also held a teaching position. After completing her university studies, she continued her studies with Prof. Peter Feuchtwanger, London, Prof. Georg Sawa, Berlin, Prof. Emilia Fadini, Milan.
As a pianist, she has performed in numerous cities in Germany and around the world, including Bonn, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Münster, the Bach city of Köthen. Munich, Milan, Paris, Vienna, Los Angeles and New Delhi, radio and TV appearances.
Four CD productions with classical piano music, world music and children's songs. Knut Franke, editor of the magazine FonoForum, judged her Albéniz recording to be "ripe for the German Record Award".
In Ettlingen, she organized the festival "Klassik im Kasino" twice on a voluntary basis and founded the orchestra "Camerata Ettlingen", with which she performed several times at the Watthaldenfestival, among others.
In 2015, she gave her last recital for the time being in Qingdao, PR China.
She has been in the piano business since 1985. From 2008, she built up her own collection of historical grand pianos. From 2014 with her company Palace Pianos, which became Klinkenberg Pianoforte GmbH in 2021. Three piano makers, two restorers, an IT specialist and two trainees work here in the former spinning mill; in addition to the managing director, there are two other women, which is rare in piano making. Thanks to her international network, Claudia Klinkenberg is always able to offer important instruments, such as the Pleyel by Fréderic Chopin, which Paul Cutts/Christie's London considers to be the most important grand piano in the world in 2021.
Claudia Klinkenberg has been married to Dr. Carl Rudolf Klinkenberg since 1989, is Catholic, speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian and Kölsch.
Honorary posts: 1st chairwoman of the Verein für internationale MusikKultur Ettlingen eV, voluntary work in Ettlingen music associations, including the Liedertafel.