Having begun her piano studies while playing at home with her mother, ten year old Clara Belle continues her studies with Dr. Reid Smith. Under Dr. Smith’s guidance, Clara Belle gave her debut solo recital at age eight. She has participated in master classes with Vicenzo Balzani of the Milano Conservatory, Russian pianist Alexander Yakavlev, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition winner Jon Nakamatsu and Dr. Alexander Tutunov. She was a participant of the 2014 International Lovere Music Festival in Lovere, Italy where she performed a Mozart Concerto with the Milano Chamber Orchestra.
In 2015, Clara Belle was a Gold Medal Winner and Audience Favorite Prize recipient at the 2015 Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition. In 2016, she earned First Prize at the Piano Fun Minnesota Competition in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was also a 2016 First Prize winner of the University of Northwestern Piano Festival Competition also in St. Paul, Minnesota. In May of 2016, Clara Belle had the privilege to perform at Carnegie Hall in the winner’s recital of the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in New York City, New York.
