Andrea Clearfield, Composer

Creating deep, emotive musical languages that build cultural and artistic bridges, Andrea Clearfield’s music has been performed widely in the U.S. and abroad. She has written over 150 works for orchestra, opera, chorus, chamber ensemble, dance, and multimedia collaborations on themes ranging from ancient cultures and mythology to environmental and social issues. Her recent compositions are inspired by Tibetan music fieldwork that she conducted in the Nepalese Himalayas. She was recently appointed composer-in-residence with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Her first opera, MILA, Great Sorcerer premiered in New York City at the acclaimed Prototype Festival on January 12 and 13, 2019. Passionate for building community around the arts, she is founder and host of Philadelphia’s renowned Salon, featuring contemporary, classical, jazz, electronic, dance, and world music since 1986.

Andrea on Art and Nature

Nature is Andrea’s refuge, the place where her aliveness soars and she can feel both universal connection and solace. Her music comes from solitary expanse in nature, inspiring the colors, textures, silences, and resonance. Upon receiving the 2017 Leopold Residency Award where she had the opportunity to live and compose in Aldo Leopold’s 1912 cabin, she became deeply engaged with his land ethics. She says, “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” She is thrilled to have been awarded a Bloedel Reserve Residency to continue to work on a cantata that celebrates Leopold’s life and to work with poet and artistic collaborator Ariana Kramer.