Claire Cowan
Claire comes from an unmusical family, and it's a bit of a mystery as to where she gets it from. However, with three other siblings all turning out as artists of one kind or another, her parents must have done something right. Since she was at intermediate school, Claire has been writing music for all sorts of applications. At 14, she wrote the soundtrack to her brother's play. At 17, she wrote an orchestral score which won her the Auckland Philharmonia Young composer prize. At 18, she won the Netherlands Blazer Ensemble Composing competition, with a scat-based vocal percussion piece. At 19, she got serious about music and went to study composition at Auckland University. In her final years of study she began collaborating with film makers, dancers and storytellers, creating scores to fuel her growing curiosity about the relationship of music to visuals. Whilst at university she wrote pieces for singing timpani, skipping percussionists, battling tubas, sad sopranos and child prodigy pianists. Claire fast achieved a reputation as a skilled orchestrator and chamber music composer. The NZSO supported her in the position of Composer in residence for the National Youth Orchestra in 2006, and has twice been the youngest composer featured in the NZSO 'Made in NZ' concert.
Since graduating Claire has worked with film makers and musicians from across NZ and the world. She has a passion for film, theatre and art, and the collaboration between composer and director in these art forms. Her approach to scoring is intuitive and instinctual, and often features a blend of live instruments and electronic components.
Recent diverse projects include 'Ego' a soundtrack to a puppet work at New York's HERE centre for the arts; 'The Off Season' — a short film by Michael Lonsdale; and 'Moonfishing', a puppet film directed by David Michael Friend supported by the Henson Foundation, NY.
