Clare Wheeler

Biography

Clare Wheeler is a singer, composer, arranger, vocal coach and workshop leader. Growing up in Kenya, she then studied at Chethams School of Music as a violinist and singer before moving on to study classical and jazz voice as well as composition at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, graduating with a BMus (Hons) in 2006.

Clare taught music theory and harmony at the Academy of Contemporary Music before joining 5 time Grammy winning vocal group The Swingles in 2007. She performed with the group, writing music and making albums for eleven years, having the chance to sing with artists such as Rumer, Jamie Cullum and Labrinth, as well as performing in some of the world’s most prestigious music venues and working with legendary conductors, including Marin Alsop, Michael Tilson Thomas, Antonio Pappano, Zubin Mehta and many others. During this time she also had the opportunity to compose and arrange for many projects, her music performed by not only The Swingles, but by the great pianist John Taylor, all the way to The Boston Pops Orchestra.

She has been a guest host of BBC Radio 2’s show The Choir, as well as arranger and vocal coach on the BBC One show Pitch Battle in 2017, working in the final with vocal group Scot Soul and soul legend Chaka Khan. As a singer Clare performs all over the world, as a soloist, in choirs and vocal ensembles, singing Early Music, Jazz, Gospel, Contemporary Classical and Pop, following her love of music from across all genres, from singing backing vocals for Jacob Collier’s Prom Performance in 2018 with the Metropol Jazz Orkester to brand new original tri-lingual setting of Te Deum by John Featherstone across Europe.

Clare writes prolifically for other groups, runs workshops and masterclasses, as well as adjudicating a cappella competitions around the world. In September 2019 she joined the staff of the Jazz Department of Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where she teaches improvisation, vocal jazz and runs the Vocal Jazz Ensemble.