Rolf Carlos Klausener is a Canadian musician, graphic designer, artistic director, and advocate of arts and culture. He is best known as the singer-songwriter of the art-folk project, The Acorn.

With The Acorn, Klausener has explored themes of place, identity, love, and the immigrant experience. The project has headlined domestic and international tours, as well as supporting major artists such as Bon Iver, Elbow, and Fleet Foxes. Their albums have been twice nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, and had songs featured in film and television including the major motion picture Crazy, Stupid, Love, Showtime’s Shameless, HBO’s Californication, and many more.

As an artistic director, he has produced numerous independent music festivals and multi-disciplinary events, showcasing hundreds of acclaimed artists to the Ottawa region. In 2014 he was nominated for the Ottawa Arts Council’s Mid-Career Artist Award.

In 2016, he was welcomed as a founding board director of the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition - a not-for-profit organisation focussed on industry development. OMIC’s work was integral to the Ottawa Music Strategy (2018 - 2020) - a city council-approved strategy for investing in, and developing the music industry.

He has participated in arts juries for the City of Ottawa and Ontario Arts Councils, as well as been the recipient of numerous grants from all levels of the Canadian government, and private funds. As a designer and communicator, he has led or contributed to numerous respected arts organizations including the National Arts Centre, Arts & Crafts, Digital Arts Resource Centre, and the CBC.