About this Artist

Claire Casanova, clarinetist and native Philadelphian, is currently a freshman at Temple University studying Music Education and an alumni of the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA). She started playing clarinet in sixth grade at her middle school, The Philadelphia String Theory Charter School for the Arts and Sciences. After attending her first year of high school, she decided to join Temple University’s Community Music Scholars Program (CMSP),where she took lessons and music theory classes. During her sophomore year, she was accepted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth (PMAY) Artists' Initiative. That summer, with the help of this organization, she was able to attend Philadelphia International Music Program (PIMF), where she studied with, Boris Allakhverdyan, principal clarinetist for the LA Philharmonic and performed with their gold orchestra, conducted by Louis Scaglione. After returning from PIMF, she began studying with Dr. Rie Suzuki, Clarinet Professor at Rowan University. This summer with the help of PMAY she was able to attend the WoodWind Studies program at New York University. She worked with the school’s highest level teachers including Pavel Vinnitsky, clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. Aside from being a part of her school’s band and orchestra, she has participated in many ensembles including PMEA District 12, All-City Band and Orchestra, and Philadelphia Sinfonia Players. Claire is an intern with Project 440’s Doing Good program where she works with Susanna Loewy and is a Youth Advisory Council member. She also began playing Bassoon two years ago in her school’s orchestra.