Clara Warnaar
Percussionist Clara Warnaar, a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble hailed as “the new gold standard for new music” by The New Yorker, kicks off PS21’s second annual Groundtone Weekend with a vivid solo program.
Clara thrives at the intersection of rock, electronic, improvised, and composed music, and is sought out as a collaborator for having this particular versatile blend of skills. Her time playing drums with the post-rock band Infinity Shred included several tours, as well as recording and writing on three albums. She has also recorded with antiphonal chamber metal band, Real Loud.
This program, featuring four hypnotic pieces that each unfold like a journey – either a reflection on life or an expedition into abstraction – showcases works for marimba, vibraphone, and mixed percussion by contemporary composers J. Andrés Ballesteros, Alejandro Viñao, and Michael Gordon. Also an esteemed composer, the program concludes with the premiere of Clara’s new work, Hakone Suite, with percussionist Robby Bowen for two vibraphones and electronics.
Photo by Stephanie Berger
Groundtone is PS21’s annual weekend-long celebration of adventurous music by an eclectic selection of today’s most original voices. Dazzling performances and immersive experiences take place across the PS21 grounds with concerts in our theater, fields, installations, and barns.
This year’s Groundtone features Sō Percussion in collaboration with Grammy-nominated songwriter Becca Stevens, pathbreaking harpist Parker Ramsay, and a full slate of artists who defy categorization. On June 21, PS21 will usher the globally-renowned Make Music Day to Chatham for the first time, with a sunrise musical procession created by Phil Kline; and Annea Lockwood’s Home Ground, a new site specific work spanning the PS21 terrain.
Groundtone is four days of audacious music, unexpected collaboration, sound, and community in the PS21 landscape.
Clara Warnaar is a percussionist, composer, and educator. A member of the long-running International Contemporary Ensemble, Clara finds herself in the heart of new music-making, playing and producing. Ms. Warnaar has also appeared as a guest artist with renowned groups such as Yarn/Wire, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, and Ensemble Signal. Her deep interest in new music is evident in her consistent premiering of new works by emerging and interdisciplinary artists, as well as her collaborations with acclaimed composers such as Ted Hearne, Missy Mazzoli, Courtney Bryan, Felipe Lara, Ellen Reid, Ash Fure and Steve Reich.
Her versatility extends beyond the concert hall—Clara has appeared on Broadway in Into the Woods and can be heard on film soundtracks including White Noise, The Fate of the Furious, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Originally from Los Angeles, Ms. Warnaar is based in New York City and Ithaca, where she is serving as Visiting Assistant Professor at Ithaca College (2025–2026).
As a creative music-maker, Clara has released two solo albums of her own music, and performed and recorded as a drummer with Infinity Shred. Her work includes percussion compositions that span experimental and traditional approaches. She also curates A New Age for New Age, a compilation series reimagining the genre, which has grown across seven volumes and featured over 70 artists.
