Clare's Experience

Performer, arranger and curator, cellist Clare O’Connell plays as a soloist and chamber musician.  Since founding Behind The Mirror, her concert series based in Berkhamsted, Clare’s practise has developed into a mixture of performing, writing, arranging and curating projects in which she collaborates with musicians and artists who inspire her. She is most interested in the intent behind a piece of music and finding the perfect context in which to present it. She commissions many new works from living composers, makes her own arrangements of a vast array of music  for unusual groups of instruments, and interweaves music poetry and storytelling to add another dimension to the listening experience.  Over lockdown she arranged, recorded and produced her debut solo album The Isolated Cellist, a deeply personal collection of ancient & modern music for solo and layered cello which was released by Stone Records in April 2021. She is a member of visionary ensemble Lontano and the Storytellers Ensemble and is a regular collaborator with many other chamber music & chamber opera projects. Recent highlights include a performance as soloist of Cheryl Frances Hoad’s work Katharsis with the new music ensemble at Oxford University, and the world premiere of “Figures of Eight”, Ed Finnis’ duo for cello and double bass which she co-commissioned with bassist Elena Hull. She is currently one of four solo cellists performing in Laura Jane Bowler’s new opera The Blue Woman at the Royal Opera House and at Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh; and will be performing throughout the year with musicians & collaborators such as Liam Byrne (viola da gamba) , Tom Rogerson (piano), Milos Milivojevic (accordion), Viv McLean (piano), and Daniel Pioro (violin).