Biography

Prizes  / Awards / Nominations



Scottish Awards for New Music Nominee (2019)

(Chamber Music Category)

 

LEAP Artist, produced by SERIOUS, supported by Paul Hamyln Foundation, 2019 

 

Scottish Awards for New Music Nominee (2017)

(Chamber Music Category)

 

Finalist, Wallace Arts Trust Awards, 2016, New Zealand (Collaboration) 


 Cottier Chamber Project festival composition competition winner, 2015 

 

British Finalist, ISCM World Music Day, 2015 

 

Cottier Chamber Project festival composition competition winner, 2012                                 

 

Dinah Wolfe Prize for Composition,

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 2011 

 

Patrons Prize for Composition, 2011

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 

 

RCS Special Award, 2011                 

 

RCS Trust Fund Scholarship 2010 


RCS Trust Fund Scholarship 2009            


 

Alexander Stone Award for Excellence, 2007

University of Strathclyde

Claire is a Scottish composer, orchestrator, lyricist, and music educator currently living in Glasgow., Claire originally gained a first class BSc(hons) in Maths Statistics & Management science before returning to her passion for music. With support from the Ian McGlashan trust fund, she completed a BA Applied Music, studying a range of subjects including piano, trombone and composition, and playing in the university orchestra and Big Band. She graduated with 1st class honours and was awarded the Alexander Stone award in her final year. 

 

Following that, she then studied composition at Masters level, with Rory Boyle, at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), thanks to two generous scholarships from RCS.  She graduated in 2011 with MMus Composition, (distinction) and several prizes. During her final year, Claire composed a piece for PLUG 2011 at BBC Hear & Now, which was conducted by Ilan Volkov and received a BBC Radio Three broadcast. 


Claire has been shortlisted twice for the Scottish New Music Awards chamber music composition category and reached the British finalist stage for ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music) World Music Day. She enjoys composing for anything from soloist  to full orchestra, and her work has been commissioned and performed by many chamber ensembles, choirs and several orchestra including National companies such as RSNO orchestra and Youth Chorus,  NYCOS,  NYOS symphony orchestra, National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland, Children's Classic Concerts, Fidelio trio, Juice ensemble, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has also been commissioned /performed by new music ventures such as  The Night With…, Red Note ensemble, Sound Festival. and many more. 


Her music has been directed by prominent conductors such as Ilan Volkov, Martyn Brabbins, Christopher Bell, Jessica Cottis and others. Claire's music has also received multiple broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, BBC Scotland and BBC Scotland TV, and has been described as having a flair for the dramatic as well as incredibly sensitive. 


Claire has also enjoyed working successfully on collaborations across a variety of art forms including dance (various - Marc Brew / Cottiers Chamber/Dance Festival / Scottish Dance Theatre / the initial dance/composition collaboration with the Modern Ballet department at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) , drama, (Scottish Youth Theatre,  visual arts (Rachel Gadsden) and animation (Cat Bruce / RCS). 


She is also a passionate and creative music educator, with a focus, and experience,  in the Kodály approach to musicianship teaching and is a Junior conservatoire lecturer in Practical musicianship and piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland,  amongst other freelance positions.