One of Britain’s leading flautists, Claire Wickes was appointed as Principal Flute of the English National Opera Orchestra in 2015 shortly after graduating from the Royal College of Music. She is in demand as guest principal flute of all major London orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia and Aurora Orchestra. As a recording artist Claire often appears as a featured artist on albums as well as film soundtracks, and performs regularly on broadcasts for tv, radio and live cinema screenings.
Claire read music at Brasenose College, Oxford, where she held an academic scholarship and graduated with first-class honours. She subsequently completed her Masters degree at the Royal College of Music; she now returns to the RCM to coach, adjudicate and lead classes. Claire is also featured in video tutorials on Principal Chairs, and teaches privately both in person and online.
Claire achieved international competition success as a prizewinner at the Aeolus Competition, and appears frequently as a concerto soloist in Germany and the UK. As a chamber musician she frequently performs alongside internationally acclaimed artists at chamber music festivals, most recently in the North York Moors, Southwell, and Brighton Music Festivals.
Alongside harpist Tomos Xerri, Claire performs in Siren duo. With a focus on exploring beyond the conventional flute and harp repertoire, Siren both collaborate with composers and make their own arrangements. As well as arranging, Claire composes and produces her own music, and enjoys collaborating as well as pursuing her own creative projects.
