Biography
Claire Grellier enjoys a diverse career as a performer, music educator, and entrepreneur. She co-founded two all-female ensembles KHAOS Wind Quintet and Four Play Clarinet, the latter of which had found popularity combining virtuosic classical training with a passion for pop and electronic music. Her desire to help students reach their full potential has led Dr. Grellier to create new opportunities and innovative curriculum including the “Rose Etudes Series,” a video series on YouTube on how to approach the practice of each of the 32 Rose Etudes.
Claire has performed and presented in conferences all over the country such as CMS, FMEA, TMEA, ICA, NAMM, and NACWPI. She has recently been invited to offer masterclasses in clarinet and music business at Chapman University, the University of Miami, and California State University Fullerton. Claire has performed on international stages including France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, China, and in the United States under the baton of prestigious conductors such as Gerard Schwarz, Carl St Clair, Kent Nagano, Larry Rachleff, and Marzena Diakun. She has also recorded music for Pharrell Williams and performed for Netflix composer Jeff Beal.
Originally from Nice, France, Claire studied at the Nice Music Conservatory and the Monaco Conservatory prior to her venue in the United States. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Miami in May 2020 with a specialization in Music Business. Her teachers include Michel Lethiec, Marie-B Barrière-Bilote, Hakan Rosengren, Nathan Williams, Boris Allakhverdyan, and Dr. Margaret Donaghue.
Dr. Grellier is a freelance musician in Los Angeles and is a clarinet professor with the LA Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Heartstrings Program, and the French Conservatory of Music. She has previously held faculty positions at Ball State University in Indiana and Occidental College in Los Angeles. Claire also works for Royal Caribbean as a contractor in the Live Music Department and runs a small company that creates clarinet neck straps.
Claire is the California Chair for the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI) and a Buffet Crampon Performing Artist.