Claire Piersol Band

Sat, May 182019-05-18|University of Central Oklahoma - UCO Jazz Lab

Claire Piersol - Clarinet and Vocals

Claire Piersol grew up in Edmonds, Washington, with her parents, Ian and Olga McKenna. Claire graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington in 2006. While at WWU, Claire performed as a guest artist and substitute in multiple jazz groups in the Pacific Northwest. Those performance opportunities led to her performances throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.

In 2001, Claire won the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival Outstanding Clarinet Soloist Award and the Meadowdale High School Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. Claire worked as a counselor and instructor at The Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society Youth Camp, Adult Camp and The Heebie Jeebies Youth Jazz Camp from 2004-2008.

Bria Skonberg and Claire co-led the Mighty Aphrodite Jazz Band. The MAJB was a talented and entertaining all-female jazz band that recorded four CDs, performed at several jazz festivals, and sailed on two jazz cruises from 2005-2010. Each of the band members have gone on to lead successful solo careers and are performing regularly throughout the United States and abroad. 

Claire was selected as the Piedmont Public Schools Featured Teacher of the Month in November 2014 and the Piedmont High School Teacher of the Month in December 2015. You can hear Claire perform regularly in the Oklahoma City metro area or back home in Seattle, Washington. 

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