Claire Victoria Roberts: Biography

Described as ‘one of Wales's leading composers’ by Wales Arts Review, Claire Victoria Roberts's music has been performed by BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Psappha Ensemble, cellist Oliver Coates, Opra Cymru, Uproar Ensemble trumpeter Simon Desbruslais, Camden Symphony Orchestra and harpist Anne Denholm. 

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Claire is the Winner of a Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize 2019-2020, as well as 2017 winner of the Mathias Composition prize, and 2019 winner of a Francis Chagrin award.

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Outside of the concert hall, Claire's music revolves around collaborative processes and curation, working with jazz and folk improvisers, spoken word, dance, music facilitation, and visuals. Her RPS commission involved making her Wigmore Hall debut with a jazz song cycle written for voice and piano. She looks forward to combining her career as a jazz vocalist with composing contemporary classical repertoire, on an upcoming album and an orchestral commission featuring jazz vocals with CSO.

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Research and Writing

Funded by the Parry Williams Scholarship, Claire has written a research project titled The Adaptable Composer: Context and Collaboration, focusing on flexible work methods for creatives. She is a regular contributor of interviews and features for Music Teacher Magazine, and has written articles and reviews for Classical Music Magazine, Early Music Magazine, The Skinny and The Cusp. OAE commissioned Claire to write an article on the Value of Digital art, which can be read here:

Claire has undertaken scriptwriting and presenting for Gaydio’s Arts and Culture programme, as well as presenting talks for the Ligeti Conference, St Hugh’s Music Society, Bangor Music Festival and Black Mountain Jazz festival, the latter described as “bursting with delights, thoroughly prepared, smartly executed” by Jazz Journal. Her experience in audio includes presenting a show on community radio station All fm, which lead to a month’s internship at 6 Music.