Claire Cook

• National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) National Student Auditions (NSA):
• -2nd Place MT Lower College Women Virginia 2019
• -Fourth Place MT Lower College Women 2019 Mid-Atlantic Region
• -Top Fourteen MT Lower College Women National Semi-Finals 2019
• -Honors in MT Upper College Women Virginia 2021
• World Premieres:
• -Linda Tutas Haugen's "Appalachian Love Songs"
• -Mary Simmons Walsh's choral piece "Recipe for Life"
• -Mary Simmons Walsh's nine-movement solo song cycle "Seasons of Life"
• -"Unconditionally" the new musical by Anna Johnson
• CS Music 2024 Vocal Competition Musical Theatre University/Pre-Professional Division Semi-finalist

Claire Alyse Cook is a soprano praised for having a clear, bell-like tone. She graduated in 2021, earning a B.A. in Theatre—magna cum laude—with a minor in Film and a Musical Theater Performance Certificate from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. During her studies at Hollins, she competed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Student Auditions (NATS NSA) for 2019 and 2021. She claimed second place in Lower College Female Music Theater for Virginia NATS in 2019, with honors in Lower College Female Studio Voice. Claire also claimed fourth place in Mid-Atlantic NATS for the same Music Theater category, which took her to the national convention in Northfield, Minnesota, hosted by St. Olaf College. She was among the top fourteen competitors in the country for her category in 2019. In 2021, she claimed honors in Upper College Treble Voice Music Theater for Virginia NATS.

Among her accolades are the privileges to premiere new works. She soared in Mary Simmons Walsh’s choral piece “Recipe for Life” as a high soprano. Mary also chose her to premiere a nine-movement solo song cycle using the text of Robert Frost, entitled “Seasons of Life”. While performing with Hollins’ elite Talmadge Singers, she was chosen to join the world premiere of Linda Tutas Haugen’s five-movement “Appalachian Love Songs” choir piece at the North Carolina ACDA. Composer Anna Johnson also sought out her voice for her new musical Unconditionally as the co-lead, Sam. Although not a new musical work, Claire was selected to perform the national anthem for a new exhibit opening at Roanoke’s Taubman Museum in 2018.

Recently, Claire supported Irish tenor Emmet Cahill for the opening leg of his 2023 United States tour in the Opera Roanoke Chorus for multiple songs. Prior to that performance, she joined the Opera Roanoke Chorus for their pre-summer music program Spring Spectacular! in 2021. To keep her musical skills sharp, she joined The Valley Chorale in 2024 for their spring program “Wishing on a Song”, where she was awarded a solo in the song “Little Willow”. She wishes to expand her choral horizons in the D.C. area soon!

In the midst of her choral and solo success, Claire still took part in numerous shows at Hollins. Her first show was Chicago as a member of the small-but-mighty vocal ensemble. Following that, she was the Helen understudy in Fun Home. Immediately after, she was an Irene Ryan nominee for her role of Mrs. Alexander in Hollins’ Zoom production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night–Time as part of the Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival 2020-2021 season. She revived the role of Mrs. Deaton in the Zoom mainstage production of Decision Height in 2021 soon after Curious Incident.

Outside of the realm of music, Claire is a studio and freelance photographer who prefers creative shoots with friends. Photography and cinema are true passions of hers to the point where she envisions entire music videos in her head. She cares deeply about animals and hopes to get a pet hamster soon.