Clara Lyon

Three-time GRAMMY-nominated violinist Clara Lyon is a fearless artist known for pushing boundaries and weaving together sonic worlds. Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, improviser, and curator, Clara is a sought-after collaborator in numerous contexts, from performances with groups like Decoda and A Far Cry, to being a featured improvising soloist with San Francisco Symphony Musicians on their SoundBox series.

Currently violinist and a co-Artistic Director of Decoda, Carnegie Hall’s only Affiliate Ensemble, Clara’s curation blurs the lines between music and storytelling, with programs that ripple out beyond the concert hall and creative community projects that foster meaningful experiences through music in settings like hospitals, shelters, correctional facilities, and conservation land. The newest member of the esteemed Lydian Quartet, Clara has served as a Professor of the Practice at Brandeis University, bringing her deep passion for innovation and collaboration to her students while continuing to captivate audiences worldwide. Clara also performs as a member and artistic director of the dynamic Boston-based self-conducted chamber orchestra, A Far Cry. From 2014-2023, Clara was a driving force as a  violinist and Director of Programs with the GRAMMY-nominated Spektral Quartet, working to commission dozens of new works and collaborating with visual artists and writers to redefine the role of the string quartet in contemporary music. Clara’s interdisciplinary interests have led to ongoing collaborations, including Thus, the Night, an art film inspired by Henri Dutilleux's Ainsi la nuit, developed with Antonia Contro and Spektral Quartet and selected for numerous international film festivals. Additionally, she is part of Theorem Collective, working to adapt the fine art book Theorem to the stage. Her work with Hannah Collins and Antonia Contro was shown as part of the Only Connect exhibit at the Secrist Beach gallery in Chicago.