Who is our state troubadour?
Charlie Widmer is a Swiss/Puerto Rican award winning multi-genre singer, songwriter, guitarist, arranger, actor, and producer. He was born in Zurich, Switzerland, and is now based in Oxford, Connecticut, having grown up his whole life in CT. He is honored to be the 19th Connecticut State Troubadour.
He received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Western Connecticut State University in 2016 and has been professionally singing, writing, and performing ever since. His singing credits include backup vocals for Michael Bublé (Madison Square Garden), Josh Groban (Madison Square Garden/Radio City Musical Hall), Sarah Brightman (Radio City Music Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Long Island University), 30 Seconds to Mars (City Winery NYC), appearing on Switzerland’s televised Die grössten Schweizer Talente, and performances and collaborations with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Ivoryton Playhouse, Playhouse on the Shore, Salt Marsh Opera, and Opera Theater of Connecticut.
Charlie is also co-founder and singer/guitarist in the award-winning band On the Trail (Bluegrass) and was the lead singer in Sub-Urban (Hip-Hop/Soul). Records are available from both bands on all streaming platforms.
As a solo singer/songwriter, Charlie has recorded and released two singles from his forthcoming project. Under the guidance and mentorship of Baschi, one of Switzerland’s biggest rockstars, Charlie recorded his first single in his birth country and released it to wide acclaim. The song, "What Do I Need With Love," spent more than a year in radio rotation in Switzerland and has since passed 100,000 streams on Spotify alone. That same song, recorded in a bluegrass version with On the Trail, was picked up by Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction and climbed to number 3 on the top 100 charts in 2025. Since then, Charlie has also released his second single entitled "Open Yourself."
As troubadour, Charlie plans to serve his community of fellow artists and musicians throughout the state. His missions include better protections for artists, more knowledge bases to strengthen new and aspiring artists, and fostering a deeper sense of community through shared interests in the arts.
Contact
Learn more about Charlie at charliewidmermusic.com