Photo: Walter Wlodarczyk. Artwork by Polly Apfelbaum.
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Described by The New York Times as “the most important flutist of our time,” Claire Chase is a musician, interdisciplinary artist, and educator. Passionately dedicated to the creation of new ecosystems for the music of our time, Chase has given the world premieres of hundreds of new works by a new generation of artists. She is a MacArthur Fellow, a Professor of the Practice at Harvard University, and was the Debs Creative Chair at Carnegie Hall in the 2022-23 season.
Upcoming Performances
Past Performances
Described by The New York Times as "the North Star of her instrument's ever-expanding universe," flutist Claire Chase is a trailblazing advocate for contemporary music. A MacArthur Fellow and the first flutist to receive the Avery Fisher Prize, she has premiered hundreds of works and leads the 24-year commissioning project Density 2036, reimagining the solo flute repertoire for the 21st Century. In this performance, Chase presents a curated program of innovative works, including Annea Lockwood's Solo from Elwha!, Liza Lim's "Throat Song" from Sex Magic, her own arrangements of Susie Ibarra's Sunbird and Tania León's Singsong, and Suzanne Farrin's The Stimulus of Loss.
About WoCo Fest
The Boulanger Initiative's annual multi-day Women Composers Festival, WoCo Fest, features works by women and gender-marginalized composers performed by local and nationally-acclaimed performers.
Claire Chase is “the North Star of her instrument’s ever-expanding universe,” according to The New York Times, and “a rare combination of grace and guts” (Wall Street Journal). Density 2036 is her ambitious and far-reaching 24-year project to create a new body of flute repertory leading up to the 100th anniversary of composer Edgard Varese’s seminal 1936 flute solo, Density 21.5. Her San Francisco Performances debut recital program reimagines music for solo flute.
The Day of Listening is a welcoming, family friendly contemporary, new music experience that blurs the lines between listening, learning, and performing. Led by musician, interdisciplinary artist, and educator Claire Chase, the Day of Listening celebrates Pauline Oliveros, the visionary composer and performer known for her concept of Deep Listening. Community members of all ages are invited to engage with several of Oliveros’s important works composed for open instrumentation and interpretation. Dismantling any distinction between performer and audience, Chase will guide participants through some of Oliveros' best-known compositions such as “The Tuning Meditation” and “Sonic Meditations.” Attendees will have the opportunity to use Adaptive Use Musical Instruments (AUMIs), providing access for anyone of any age or ability to create musical phrases through small movement or gestures.