Claire Thaler, 18, began playing violin at age four. She currently performs in the Florida State University Philharmonia and has performed in the Tallahassee Youth Orchestra (concertmaster). She is a current student of Professor Corinne Stillwell and has also studied with Dr. Valerie Arsenault, and she is looking forward to pursuing a degree in violin performance this fall.
Claire has been selected to perform with the FMEA All-State Orchestras for five consecutive years, and she served as Associate Concertmaster of the FMEA All-State Symphonic Orchestra in 2017. Claire was invited to perform in the annual side-by-side concerts with the New World Symphony in Miami in 2016 & 2017, and she performed with the NAfME National Honors Symphony Orchestra in 2016. She has been a finalist for the Tallahassee Bach Parley concert ""Kids Go for B’roquedz for five years, and she received 1st place in the
2017 Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the 2016 BBCO Young Artist Concerto Competition.
Summer study opportunities include Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, Castleman Quartet Program (student of Charles Castleman), Bowdoin International Music Festival (student of David Bowlin), Eastern Music Festival (student of Courtney LeBauer), and the Florida State University College of Music. Claire has performed in master classes for Almita and Roland Vamos, Rachel Barton Pine, Jennifer Koh, Jennifer Frautschi, and the Carpe Diem String Quartet.
Claire was recently chosen as the recipient of an Education Grant from the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation. She is a recipient of a Douglas C. Cox violin scholarship and plays on the beautiful Opus 908 DzNachezdz 1716 Strad model made in 2016.
