Clara Mendes is a Portuguese-American pianist with a dual passion for classical repertoire and contemporary pop fusion. A graduate of the Royal College of Music in London, she built her early career touring European concert halls with a focus on Romantic-era works. Over time, she began arranging classical pieces into modern formats, merging her two musical worlds.

She currently teaches advanced piano technique and music theory at the Pacific School of Music in Seattle, where she’s pioneered a crossover course blending Liszt and Chopin with harmonic concepts from pop ballads. Her students range from conservatory hopefuls to singer-songwriters looking to sharpen their musical vocabulary.

Clara is also an active arranger and runs a successful YouTube channel where she publishes “Classical Meets Pop” tutorials, aiming to make classical music more accessible to younger audiences. Her motto: “Precision in the fingers, but freedom in the heart.”