Claire Habbershaw is an award-winning British pianist and musical director who specialises in art song, opera, and musical theatre repertoire. She is an international recitalist, concert curator, and recording artist who has performed at major concert halls, venues, and festivals both across the UK and internationally, collaborating with some of the world’s finest singers.

Claire is the regular pianist for world-renowned tenor Charles Castronovo and has partnered him in numerous recitals both in the UK and abroad. Together, they have recorded a collection of art songs from the Belle Époque period for their debut album, to be released in Spring 2026 with Naxos/Orfeo. She also regularly partners countertenor James Laing, and in 2025 they premiered Ian Venables’s Little Old Cupid.

A passionate advocate for British art song, Claire works closely with Ian Venables on projects and concerts. She has performed Jonathan Dove’s Out of Winter in the presence of the composer as part of his 60th-birthday celebrations and gave the live performance premiere of Ivor Gurney’s solo piano piece Autumn. Her performances have featured in major music festivals and concert halls across the UK and abroad, including appearances for distinguished audiences such as the Lord Mayor of London.

Her regular duo partners include soprano Susanna MacRae and mezzo-soprano Rachel Roper, with whom she presents a variety of song programmes. In late 2025, she will begin a new collaboration with American bass-baritone DeAndre Simmons. Claire is also the creator of Keys to the Masters — a series of interviews published on YouTube and Spotify, in which she speaks with leading performers and creative specialists about their artistry.

Claire completed her Artist Masters in Piano Accompaniment with distinction at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where she was a Guildhall Scholar. She later served as the Junior Fellow in Piano Accompaniment and now works at Guildhall as a staff pianist, musical director, and tutor on its short courses. She previously studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance as a Trinity London Scholar, where she won every duo song prize available and received both the Founders’ Prize for Piano Accompaniment and the Raymond Russell Prize for Harpsichord.

As a musical director, Claire is highly sought after for her collaborative expertise, working with acclaimed theatre directors including John Haidar, Izzy Rabey, and Walter Meierjohann. She performs across multiple genres, including musical theatre and popular music, with leading artists from these industries.

A dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Claire enjoys unrestricted access to work across the UK and the EU Schengen Area. She is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Coopers, reflecting her contributions to the cultural life of London.