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While there is no shortage of highly-skilled musicians in the industry today, Clara is a sought after guitarist, pianist, banjoist, and vocalist. With an over two-octave vocal range, she can sing lead or harmonies (soprano or baritone) to fill out any sound. Clara is also an accomplished composer and songwriter and has penned songs for film, tv, and radio. Her new single, "Can't Catch You Yet" is available on all streaming channels. As an emerging bluegrass banjoist, Clara has performed with renowned fiddler/mandolinist, Malia Furtado, in the group: Malia Furtado and Friends.
Clara grew up in a musical family in a small town in Idaho. As a result of her classical upbringing, she had her first union job at the age of 11 and graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy at the age of 15. Clara was immediately accepted into the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she studied with the renowned oboist and scholar James Caldwell. Although she was one of the youngest students in his studio, Clara distinguished herself among her peers and won the competitive Artistry in Oboe Performance Award in her senior year. By the time she graduated with a B.M. in Oboe Performance at the age of nineteen, Clara was teaching others, both privately and at summer programs like Interlochen Arts Camp. In 1999, Clara made her departure from the classical music world to co-found the alternative rock band, Surrender Dorothy. Within three months of their inception, Surrender Dorothy was selected to open up on the Lilith Fair Tour. As a versatile performer in both classical and popular music genres, Clara has shared a stage with artists as diverse as Itzhak Perlman, John Williams, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, and Martina McBride.
In 2003, Clara moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to further explore songwriting, culminating in the release of The Fairfax Sessions (2005), a collection of songs with folk, rock, country, and alternative influences released on her own label, Use Your Words Records. In 2007, she released Organic Music for Kids, a collection of children’s songs, including one original song called “Clippety Cloppety Cloo.” Clara released two solo alternative rock albums: Naked and Running Late (2018) and Write Your Name (2019). In 2020, Clara relocated to Virginia to be closer to family.
Clara makes her home in Charlottesville, VA, with her wife and two dogs. She sings with hospice patients and in memory care units through a partnership with The Front Porch (Charlottesville, VA) and Hospice of the Piedmont. When Clara isn't playing an instrument or writing a new song, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and gardening.