Clara Lyon
Photo by Ashleigh Dye
Three-time GRAMMY-nominated artist Clara Lyon is an accomplished soloist, chamber musician, improviser, and curator whose work connects sonic languages and artistic disciplines to create new pathways for imagination. Known for stylistic versatility, she is a sought-after collaborator in numerous contexts, from performances with groups like the Lydian Quartet and A Far Cry, to being a featured improvising soloist with San Francisco Symphony Musicians on their SoundBox series.
Lyon is currently the Co-Artistic Director of Decoda, Carnegie Hall’s only Affiliate Ensemble, and is on faculty at the Greenwood Music Festival. She frequently performs and creates with duo partner Hannah Collins, and their current projects include collaborations with composers Evan Premo, Mazz Swift, Yaz Lancaster, Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, visual artist Antonia Contro, and video artist Nicholas Zoulek. A recipient of the Music Academy of the West Alumni Enterprise Award, and a prizewinner of the Irving M. Klein International Competition and the Schadt International Competition, Lyon has performed in solo and chamber music performances around the world in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Reykjavik Arts Festival, NPR’s Tiny Desk, the American Academy in Rome, Miller Theater, the Banff Centre, and many more, and holds degrees from The Juilliard School and SUNY Stony Brook.
From 2014-2023 she was a violinist and Director of Programs for the Chicago-based Spektral Quartet, during which time they commissioned and performed over 50 new works for string quartet with composers such as Anthony Cheung, Sam Pluta, Sky Macklay, Tonia Ko, George Lewis, Augusta Read Thomas, Hans Thomalla, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Bernard Rands, and many others, were nominated for three GRAMMY awards in three different genres, and were in residence at the University of Chicago’s Music Department. As Director of Programs, Lyon cultivated collaborative partnerships between celebrated composers, visual artists, writers, and community organizations to create thoughtful and immersive musical experiences across a variety of formats. She also spearheaded the quartet’s lauded cycle of Arnold Schoenberg’s complete string quartets.
Lyon’s interest in interdisciplinary collaboration has forged ongoing connections and projects. Her sonic and visual installation with musician Hannah Collins and visual artist Antonia Contro was shown as part of the Only Connect exhibit at the Secrist gallery in Chicago. She is also the only performing member of the Theorem Collective, a small company of artists dedicated to adapting the celebrated fine art book Theorem by Antonia Contro and Elizabeth Bradfield, to the stage in 2024. Thus, the Night, a short art film (approx. 19 min.) inspired by French composer Henri Dutilleux's seminal work for string quartet Ainsi la Nuit, was developed by Lyon with Antonia Contro and film production company Four/Ten Media, produced by and featured Spektral Quartet, and has been selected for the Montreal Independent Film Festival, Brussels Capital Film Festival, Rome Music Video Awards, and more. Thus, the Night will premiere in a special presentation at Aspen Film in March of 2024.