ABOUT 

A performer and educator, Dr. Lauren Harding resides in Northeast Tennessee. A native to the region, Dr. Harding currently teaches private lessons to horn students of all ages, and her teaching focuses on fundamentals, ear training, auditioning, and solo performing. She graduated in May 2020 with a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Missouri- Kansas City where she is studied with Martin Hackleman. Her previous education includes a Bachelor of Music from the University of Tennessee, and a Master of Music from West Virginia University.

 

Dr. Harding has been teaching privately for ten years, and her experience includes instruction on horn, piano, and music theory. Her students have successfully auditioned for and attended collegiate programs in the United States. She was a graduate teaching assistant at West Virginia University and taught horn lessons, horn choir, and aural music theory courses. She was also on faculty at the West Virginia University Community Music Program where she taught students of all ages and abilities. While living in Kansas City, Dr. Harding was a Case Manager at Metropolitan Community College-Blue River where she advised students.

 

While at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Dr. Harding won the 2014 Collegiate Solo Competition at the Southeastern Horn Workshop held at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and earned the Chancellor’s Award for Extraordinary Professional Promise upon graduating. During her Masters, she received West Virginia University’s Horn Studio Assistantship where she taught private lessons, horn choir, and aural theory. Her duties included performing with WVU’s Graduate Wind Quintet, participated in the Faculty Chamber Players, and lectured in the horn seminar class. During her first year there, she won the College of Creative Arts Young Artists’ Competition and was a soloist with WVU’s Symphony Orchestra. While under Dr. Harding's direction, WVU’s Horn Choir was invited to perform at the 2016 Northeastern Horn Workshop at IUP and premiered “Virginia Songs” for six horns and percussion at the 2016 International Horn Symposium in honor of the late Dr. Virginia Thompson. In the spring of 2018 she won the Graduate Solo Competition at the 2018 Mid-South Horn Workshop on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas.

 

Dr. Harding was principal horn of the Kansas City Civic Orchestra and second horn of the Saint Joseph Symphony. She toured with Cornerstone Chorale and Brass in 2018 and has performed with numerous chamber ensembles. Groups she has performed with include Kansas City Civic Orchestra, Saint Joseph Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony of the Mountains, River Cities Symphony, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, and Midwest Chamber Ensemble.