Claire Ness

Born in Whitehorse, Yukon, Claire Ness has built a career that bridges song, the stage and education. Trained in comedic writing and performance at Humber College in Toronto and later as a circus instructor at the École nationale de cirque in Montréal, Claire Ness situates her work in a wide musical space where folk, country, blues, jazz, children’s music, musical theatre, francophone song and humour meet. Her songwriting favors storytelling, vivid imagery and a strong narrative drive, with pieces that shift from intimate acoustic arrangements to more playful forms depending on the project. Rooted in Yukon’s cultural life, Claire Ness balances a performing career with hands‑on circus outreach, notably as the founding artistic director of the Yukon Circus Society, through which she has for several years developed workshops and shows in various communities across the territory. This circulation between singer‑songwriter work, family/children’s creation and staged practice makes Claire Ness a versatile musician active between Canada’s North and other stages around the country.