Clara Christian featured as College of the Ozarks Guest Artist

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — On Thursday, Sept. 10, guest artist Clara Christian will perform in the Newman Recital Hall, located in the Gittinger Music Center at College of the Ozarks, at 7:30 p.m., as part of the College of the Ozarks 2026-2027 featured guest artists.

The concert is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Dr. Clara Christian, pianist, serves as professor of music and Piano Program director at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. Her students have won state and national awards, been accepted into graduate programs and gone on to pursue a variety of careers. Prior to C of O, she taught at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Northwestern University’s Music Academy in Evanston, Illinois. Active as a clinician and adjudicator, she serves on the executive board for the Missouri Music Teachers Association.

Christian has performed at venues such as the Chicago Cultural Center and the “Jaani Kirik” Concert Series in St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as given performances in Strasbourg, France, and Sondershausen, Germany. She received her DMA at Northwestern University with Alan Chow, studied piano pedagogy with Marcia Bosits and earned an M.M. with Ellen Mack at the Peabody Institute. Her Bachelor of Music in piano performance is from Wheaton College, where she studied with Daniel Horn. Some of her awards include the Chicago Musicians Club of Women Elaine and Jerome Nerenburg Scholarship, their top prize in piano; being selected as a 2022 finalist for the American Prize in Piano Performance, professional division; and performing as a semifinalist in the 2017 Franz Liszt Festival and International Competition.

Recent performances include a solo appearance with the Missouri Philharmonic Orchestra, various guest artist concerts throughout the U.S., and participating in the semifinal round for the Music International Grand Prix. In addition to giving solo performances, she is a frequent collaborative artist and has given several premieres with her trio, Fuse, which formed in 2014. Currently, she is working on a project of all newly commissioned music, and in 2026-2027 will give four premieres of new music written for her by American composers.

In conjunction with Christian’s performance, the College will welcome accomplished composer Dr. Charles Halka. Christian will premiere a new work written for her by Halka. The following day, Halka will give a presentation to the College’s composition students.

Dr. Luke Carlson, associate professor of music, described the anticipated event: “We are very excited to host Dr. Halka at C of O. He is an inventive and vibrant composer whose works span a wide range of artistic aesthetics. Our composition students are looking forward to hearing his music premiered by Dr. Christian as well as a presentation lecture on his compositional work.”

“I am very excited to premiere a new piece by Dr. Charles Halka, associate professor of composition and theory, and the composition area coordinator at Western Washington University,” Christian said. “He is originally from Oklahoma, and I will be giving the very first performance of ‘And I know what the rainbow writes,’ a work I commissioned in 2025. This piece uses sound to explore the idea of a storm which passes over the plains, from small raindrops to a gushing torrent, finishing with the storm tapering away at the end. In addition, I will be giving a performance of ‘Sonata for solo piano’ by Luke Carlson, which was originally premiered in March 2025, along with movements from ‘20 contemplations on the infant Jesus,’ a very moving work written by French composer Oliver Messiaen toward the end of World War II.”