Through performing and curating thoughtful recital programs made for her audiences, Claire seeks to cultivate beauty in the world. Claire Druffner began her cello studies at the age of three with Donna Davis. In 2014, Claire debuted with the Plano Symphony Orchestra, performing the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto. In 2015, Claire was invited back to the Plano Symphony Orchestra to perform the Kabalevsky Concerto for 15,000 schoolchildren. Claire’s life-long journey with the cello is characterized by a love for connecting with her audiences through performance.
Claire has attended summer festivals such as Indiana University Summer Strings, Greenwood Music Camp, the Meadowmount School of Music with Hans Jensen, and the Heifetz International Institute. In 2022, Claire was invited to participate in the Chamber Music Seminar with Shmuel Ashkenasi and the Borromeo Quartet at the Heifetz International Institute, where she participated in Heifetz on Tour, performing String Quartet Op. 59 No. 2 by Johannes Brahms and Variations on a Theme by Paganini by Gregor Piatigorsky. In 2024, Claire was a Tanglewood Fellow at Tanglewood Music Center, where she worked with Alan Gilbert, Andris Nelsons, and Gustavo Dudamel.
Passionate about music education, in 2020, Claire cofounded Practice Notes, an online initiative that provides free practice resources and solutions in the form of fun, interactive, and collaborative social media posts. Claire has engaged world-famous collaborators such as Johannes Moser, Colin Carr, and Daniel Phillips to produce practice videos that can help students of all ages learn how to practice. Claire also maintains a small private studio with students of all ages.
Claire’s true passion lies in presenting recital experiences to audiences of all backgrounds. She believes that music has a particular transcendental power to uplift and inspire. As part of her recitals, Claire connects with her audiences through speaking. In her undergraduate career, Claire presented five recitals at the Shepherd School of Music. Recently, Claire was awarded the Sviatoslav Richter Fund for Music Outreach for her recital series, Carmina, which provides musical meditations for events of the liturgical calendar. Programming for the recital series invites audience members to meditate through music, and to use beauty as a way to experience peace amidst the busyness of everyday life.
Intentional and accessible programming are integral to Claire’s recital programs. For Claire, the recital experience is for the audience member. Recognizing that different kinds of music speak uniquely to different people, Claire curates varied recital programs. In her recitals, Claire loves to include short, nostalgic, lyrical works, virtuosic pieces, major works for the instrument, and works that challenge the audience to listen in a new way.
An advocate for new music, Claire regularly collaborates with living composers to premiere beauty reflective of the 21st century perspective. At the beginning of her undergraduate career at Rice University, Claire collaborated with Jaylin Vinson to premiere Shimmer!, a cello quartet written for Claire and her fellow freshman cellists. Claire has premiered several of her dear friend’s compositions, including Cosmic Time Machines and And Thus It Was. Claire also regularly works with Houston-based composers like Asher Lurie and Daniel Knaggs. A DaCamera Young Artist, Claire regularly performs new music for varied audiences, at venues such as the Menil Collection, The Wortham Theater Lobby, and local libraries, hospitals, and community centers. As part of DaCamera, Claire performs a variety of chamber music as part of outreach programs across the Houston area.
Claire has been honored to work with pedagogues such as Andres Diaz, Clive Greensmith, Ko Iwasaki, and Astrid Schween. She has performed in masterclasses for Richard Aaron, Peter Stumpf, Peter Wiley, and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. A proud “owl,” Claire completed her undergraduate studies in 2025 with her long-time beloved private teacher, Norman Fischer, at the Shepherd School at Rice University. Upon graduation, Claire was awarded the “Outstanding Senior Award,” and the “Undergraduate Distinction in Research and Creative Works,” for her contribution across campus in a variety of areas, including for her impact through musical performance. Currently, Claire is pursuing a Master’s in Music at the Shepherd School with the renowned Valentin Radútiu.