Laura Gaynon, cello
Artistic Codirector
Associate Director

Cellist Laura Gaynon has performed on her modern and baroque cellos in concert halls across the United States, Europe, Canada, and China. Based in San Francisco, Laura plays with the American Bach Soloists, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Opera Parallèle, Ensemble Illume, and the baroque chamber ensemble MUSA. She has toured nationally with Pop Up Magazine and the Magik*Magik Orchestra and recently performed Philip Glass’ opera In the Penal Colony with Opera Parallèle at the 2018 Days and Nights Festival in Carmel, California. Other recent festival appearances include performances at the Taos School of Music, American Bach Soloists Academy, Valley of the Moon Music Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival, and the International Piatigorsky Cello Masterclasses at USC. 

Laura is a passionate advocate for new music and has helped to commission over a dozen new works of chamber music. As cellist with MUSA, she spearheaded its three-year Art Inspiring Art commissioning project and as a performer, she has premiered music by composers including Daniel Temkin, Matthias McIntire, Andrew McIntosh, and many others.

As an educator, Laura believes in the power of chamber music as a medium for teaching high level musicianship as well as crucial interpersonal skills. In 2015, she founded the String Quartet Program at Thomas Hart Middle School in Pleasanton, California, which she still directs, teaching 24 students each year the art of string quartet playing. She has taught at the California Music Preparatory Academy, Chamber Music by the Bay and Pacific Crest Music Festival. In fall 2018, Laura founded a new chamber music program in San Francisco to teach even more young musicians the joys and skills of chamber music. Additionally, Laura enjoys teaching an active studio of private cello students in San Francisco.

Laura holds degrees from Yale University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she graduated with an M.M. in cello performance, an Artist Certificate in chamber music, and an emphasis in Historical Performance Practice as a student of Jennifer Culp and Elisabeth Reed.

To learn more about Laura, visit her website: www.lauragaynon.com