Claire Brown/ Music

Claire Brown is a composer and oboist from Northern Virginia and currently based in State College, Pennsylvania. Her original compositions include works for soloists, chamber ensemble, large ensemble, and electronic media, and have been selected for multiple competitions, including a solo cello etude for Vox Novus 15 Minutes of Fame Featuring Eunice Koh (IT’S GONNA GET YOU) and an electronic fixed media track for Penn State College of Arts and Architecture Theme Music Contest for Movers, Shakers, Designers, Makers video series. She is a two-time winner of the Penn State Ensemble Call for Scores, winning the 2024/25 category for Symphonic Winds (A Thousand Paper Cranes) and the 2025/26 category for Percussion Ensemble (How Is It Going To End?). Other achievements include a commission by the Southeastern Women In Music Symposium to compose a band piece (Correspondence) for their 2025 Symposium. Her most recent compositions span a wide variety of genres and instrumentation, including ASPECT RATIO (solo bass + fixed media), How Is It Going To End? (percussion quartet), and Beyond The Window (soprano + chamber ensemble). Each new piece is an exploration of her personal beliefs, values, and identity, experimenting with different compositional techniques and ideas. Claire has recently completed a piece for oboe and fixed media (Even though I try, my efforts end in vain.) and is currently working on a composition for philharmonic orchestra, set to be completed fall 2026. Her recent works explore real world issues, like societal dependance on AI and technology, and the rapid industrialization of forested areas destroying ecosystems. Currently, Claire is attending Penn State where she studies composition with Dr. Baljinder Sekhon and Professor Paul Coleman, and oboe with Dr. Andreas Oeste.