Clairdee

Clairdee is a Professor of Jazz Voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) and a renowned jazz vocalist. She holds a BA in Fine Arts/Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a BS in Information Systems Management from the University of San Francisco. Her career spans four decades, featuring collaborations with jazz legends like Dick Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Russell Malone. Clairdee’s work bridges traditional jazz with contemporary activism, highlighted by her Grammy-nominated album A Love Letter to Lena, celebrating civil rights icon Lena Horne. She has received the Bay Area Jazz & Blues Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) and mentors future musicians through roles at SFJAZZ and the San Francisco Symphony.

Her research interests include vocal jazz performance, jazz education, and preserving jazz heritage. Recent projects emphasize community outreach through music, such as the Stand Up initiative advocating for social justice. Clairdee’s discography includes four Declare Music albums and performances with symphony orchestras, big bands, and small jazz ensembles.

Awards include the 2020 Grammy® nomination and recognition in Down Beat and JazzTimes. She is also a board member of Bay Area Jazz Mobile and Jazz in the Neighborhood, advocating for music accessibility.