Flutist Claire Gunsbury was raised in Nisswa, Minnesota and graduated from Brainerd High School in 2017. Proud to be returning to perform with the Lakes Area Music Festival, Claire recently earned her B.M. in Flute Performance, B.M. in Musicology, and a Certificate in Music Entrepreneurship from the University of Colorado Boulder. As was the 2017-2021 recipient of the Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship, Claire performed with guitarist Max Mondzac at Carnegie Hall in 2018 and is one half of the Lark and Sparrow Duo alongside harpist Shelby Roberts. In all of her musical endeavors and collaborations, Claire explores the sounds of the flute with passion and curiosity.
As a soloist, Claire has premiered a number of new works through the Pendulum New Music Series at CU Boulder and been featured on Colorado Public Radio and Minnesota Public Radio. Claire was a Showcase Artist for the Minnesota Varsity competition in 2016, and has received awards for classical music competitions across the Midwest and Colorado.
Claire is an avid chamber and orchestral musician and has enjoyed performing with the CU Boulder Symphony Orchestra, CU Wind Symphony, and Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) Symphony Orchestra. She has worked with some of the world’s most renowned flutists, including William Bennett, Claire Chase, Marianne Gedigian, and Jim Walker. Passionate about musicians wellness, Claire is a co-founder of the venture Spark Mindful Artistry and earned a Performing Arts Health Certificate through the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) in November of 2020. She was also a Teaching Artist for the Colorado Lullaby Project in the spring of 2021, working with parents and children to write and record custom songs for families.
Claire’s primary teachers include Christina Jennings, Immanuel Davis, and Julie Johnson. Outside of music, Claire enjoys hiking, listening to podcasts, and spending time with friends and family. She maintains a small private studio of flute students, both in-person and virtual. In August of 2021, Claire will be pursuing her Master in Music at Carnegie Mellon University with Lorna McGhee.