Laura Sylvan is a rising new flutist in the California Bay Area as both a dynamic performer and innovative teacher. She performed in a recent benefit concert, receiving rave reviews and helping to raise nearly $10,000 through donations and CD sales.

Originally from Minnesota, Laura was educated at St. Olaf College in the Bachelor of Music program in Flute Performance. She played in the highly regarded St. Olaf College Orchestra for four years, serving as principal for three. During her time in Minnesota she also was a guest principal of the Cannon Valley Orchestra and toured one summer with the National Arts Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Dr. Kevin McMahon.

Laura is also an accomplished pianist, having studied under several key teachers including the concert pianist and conductor Vladimir Svoysky. While studying with Svoysky she performed in concert with him and the Symphony School of America the entire piano duet from Saint Saens' "Carnival of the Animals". Other highlights from her activities with piano include performing a piano concerto with the LaCrosse Youth Symphony, acting as rehearsal  pianist for the Miss Winona contest, accompanying many high school choirs and performing as a jury accompanist for other instrumentalists during her time at St. Olaf College.

Complimenting her piano skills, Laura also plays the Celtic harp. She performs throughout Northern California with the harp ensemble, Harpers Hall, and performed with them on their upcoming CD to be released September 2007. Laura plays on a 36 nylon string bubinga wood Signature harp made by Triplett Harps.

Since moving to California, Laura has continued her advanced flute studies with many Bay Area professionals, including Maria Tamburrino, Teresa Orosco, Julie McKenzie, Isabella Chapius Starr and Dawn Walker. She also is active in her studies with world renowned New York based flutist, Keith Underwood, most recently in a week's residence at the Hidden Valley Music Seminar held June 2005.

Laura is active in attending and performing in master classes. Ironically, her first time performing flute in a master class was with world famous tuba player and music pedagogist, Arnold Jacobs. Her first time performing in a flute master class was at a week long Geoffrey Gilbert master class in one of his last long seminars before his death. Since then, Laura has gone on to perform or audit many other master classes, most recently classes presented by Jeanne Baxtresser and Keith Underwood.

Laura plays on a handmade silver Powell with a LaFin headjoint. Her LaFin headjoint is silver with a red-gold riser, Adler model.