Claire Chase Concerts

Experience Claire Chase

Claire Chase is a critically acclaimed American flutist renowned for expanding the possibilities of the instrument through innovative performance practice and commissioning new works. A graduate of Juilliard and Yale, she’s dedicated her career to contemporary music, becoming a leading interpreter of composers like Kaija Saariaho, Steve Reich, and Georges Aperghis.

Chase is particularly known for her “Density Project,” a 21st-century reimagining of Varèse’s *Density 21.5* – a solo flute piece – resulting in over 200 commissioned micro-works for solo flute, each lasting precisely 21.5 seconds. This project has significantly broadened the flute repertoire and fostered collaboration with diverse composers globally.

She's received numerous awards including a MacArthur Fellowship (2013), a United States Artists Fellowship, and the Avery Fisher Prize. Chase frequently performs as a soloist with major orchestras worldwide and leads masterclasses internationally. Her discography includes recordings of works by Boulez, Donatoni, and the composers featured in the Density Project, consistently pushing boundaries within contemporary classical music. She currently serves as Professor of Flute at Columbia University.