I joined Local 802 because it seemed a great way to meet fellow musicians in New York City, and I also believe in the advocacy and organizing work the union does to ensure that we are paid a fair wage. I hope to have a varied career in chamber music, new music, recordings, orchestra and Irish fiddle. I’m a bit of a musical omnivore – I go back and forth between violin and viola, enjoy collaborating with composers, relish playing quartets, and love folk fiddling. New York City seems like a good place to do all of these things, and I moved here to challenge myself! One of my favorite recent gigs was playing Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 with Jaime Laredo and the Westchester Philharmonic, and also playing a new string quartet with dancers at Juilliard. I like that every gig in NYC has been completely different so far. I earned a bachelor’s degree in violin from Northwestern University and a master’s in violin performance from the Royal College of Music in London. I spent several years freelancing with the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra and as a viola sub with the Milwaukee Symphony. Music is such a vital form of expression, and I still find it amazing that the violin can do so many different things. It is my creative outlet and I enjoy passing on the joy of playing to my students. I’m freelancing with tons of orchestras in the NYC area, teaching violin and viola at the United Nations International School, and playing chamber music and Irish fiddle around town. I was excited to travel to India last year to solo with the Kolkata Symphony Orchestra and to take part in a teaching fellowship with a group called MusicAid.
Laura Thompson
lauraelspeth@gmail.com