Flutist and UNO Alumna Featured by Omaha Magazine

By ahilt21 on June 9, 2026

Flutist Claire Noelle James (MM ’24 UNO) had an unusual idea for her first masters degree recital: Using research on how sound affects the perception of taste, Claire proposed to create a unique culinary experience for the audience by blending both music and food, with the food being specifically prepared to enhance the flavors of each dish.

Supported by her flute professor, Dr. Christine Beard and in collaboration with the UNO School of Music, UNO’s Service Learning Academy, and the Culinary Institute at Metro Community College, that successful pilot performance in 2023 has been refined into what is now known as “Sound Bites.” Since then, Claire has coordinated musical culinary experiences in nearly a dozen spaces across the Omaha metro, pairing up with numerous chefs and musicians, with future plans to expand “Sound Bites” outside of the Metro and to commission composers to write new music specifically for the event.