Clara Thomas is 16 years old. When she was 6 years old, she began her violin studies with Deena Shapiro. Currently, she studies with Huifang Chen and Rafael Elvira. Clara is the Concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra at the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. In 2024, she won the Greater Miami Youth Symphony Concerto Competition and performed Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole with the Symphony Orchestra. She was also a winner of the Gainesville Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition, Junior Division.
Clara was selected by the New World Symphony to play in their annual Side by Side Concert. She has also played in the Florida All-State Middle School Orchestra and Concert Orchestra. Clara enjoys listening to all classical music, but she especially likes the music of Bach, Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky. When she is not practicing violin, Clara spends her time programming, drawing, and reading.