Blake Clawson is a musician at the intersection of composition, conducting, education, research, and performance. He currently teaches choir, guitar, and music theory at a classical academy in the Denver area.  Blake received a dual Master of Music in Composition and Choral Conducting in 2026 from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studied with Carter Pann, Annika Socolofsky, Coreen Duffy, and Elizabeth Swanson. At CU Boulder, he served for three years as the conductor of Renova New Music Ensemble and taught Aural Skills and musicianship skills.

Recent musical escapades include a choral arrangement for an upcoming double album by recording artist John Van Deusen, an Icelandic-language choral cycle commissioned by the Rocky Mountain Chorale, and Evergreen Cycles, a trio for two flutes and harp exploring the life cycle of forests. Blake’s music weaves the serenity of natural landscapes with wonder, occasionally infusing modern folk styles and rollicking groove. While choral music is chief among his interests, Blake is also inspired by jazz, punk rock, bluegrass, and folk traditions from around the world.

Blake’s choral works have been performed by ensembles across the country, including KC VITAs (dir. Jackson Thomas), Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble (dir. Loren Pontén), and the Rocky Mountain Chorale (dir. Jimmy Howe). His instrumental music has been performed by professional and collegiate ensembles alike, including ~Nois saxophone quartet, the Whitworth Orchestra (dir. Philip Baldwin), and the CU Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra (dir. Renee Gilliland).

Blake’s primary research focus is Icelandic choral music, both past and present. His master’s thesis analyzes Hugi Guðmundsson’s The Gospel of Mary, an hour-long oratorio about the apocryphal Gospel of Mary. Blake’s teachers include Coreen Duffy, Elizabeth Swanson, Annika Socolofsky, Carter Pann (CU Boulder), Marc Hafso, Brent Edstrom (Whitworth University), Leonie Holmes, Karen Grylls (University of Auckland), and Kirk Marcy (Edmonds Community College). Apart from music, Blake enjoys skiing, looking at birds, basking in the fresh stillness of a misty forest, and hanging out with his super cool wife.