Clara Byom With a fearless curiosity and multi-instrumental virtuosity (clarinet, accordion, keyboard, electronics), Clara Byom has forged a successful musical career as a versatile performer, composer, and arts administrator whose work stretches across multiple genres—from classical (new and old) to traditional folk, indie rock to electronic music.

Clara has premiered over 40 new classical works as soloist, collaborator, or with the New Mexico Contemporary Ensemble, which she co-founded in 2016 with Dalton Harris. Since 2020, Clara produced three solo albums of electronic/electroacoustic music, two collaborative albums with lo-fi hip hop/experimental artist Dan Dan, and experimental improvisation albums with Patrick DeBonis, Barry Chabala, David Forlano, and Muni Kulasinghe.

Clara frequently plays for contra, English Country, and International Folk Dance as a soloist and with The Parson Sisters. She is a founding member of the award-winning folk rock band Dust City Opera. Clara serves as Development Director for the Klezmer Institute and coordinator for Yiddish New York. She holds a Master of Music degree from the University of New Mexico in Clarinet Performance and Musicology (2017) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College (2012).

In fall of 2024, Clara begins her doctoral studies at Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX), where she will be researching groove and danceability.