Biography
Laura is a Bulgarian-American solo and collaborative pianist, instructor, and researcher. She has performed and taught internationally. Her most recent solo appearance was her performance of Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3 (first movement) under conductor Francesco D'Ovidio in Italy. Laura completed her dual masters degree in Piano Performance and Advanced Certificate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at NYU Steinhardt, where she studied with Ms. Eteri Andjaparidze. Laura is currently on faculty at Third Street Music School and The New York Piano School. She also runs her own private piano studio in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Prior to this, Laura served on the Adjunct Piano Faculty at New York University (2021-2023).
Originally from San Jose, California, Laura grew up participating in the United States Open International Music Competition, winning prizes in Treasury of Contemporary, Treasury of Romantic, and Treasure of USA Composer categories. In high school, Laura completed the advanced level of the Certificate of Merit Examinations through the Music Teachers Association of California and was a finalist in the competitive Panel Track through Young Artist Guild. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, where she studied with Mr. Steven Mayer. She graduated Cum Laude with distinction in her major.
Laura has participated in music festivals including the Todi International Music Masters (Italy), Puerto Piano and Strings Festival (Puerto Rico), Brevard Summer Institute (North Carolina), International Keyboard Institute and Festival (NYC), and Interharmony (Germany). As a first prize winner in the International Music Competition “Grand Prize Virtuoso”, Laura performed in the winner’s concert in Wiener Saal, Austria. She has also appeared as a soloist in Hamilton Recital Hall (CO), Le Petit Trianon Theatre (CA), Black Box Theatre (NYC), Sunrise at East 56th (NYC), and most recently, Merkin Hall (NYC). An advocate for new music, for the past two years, Laura participated in NYU’s Tutte le Corde festival–a collaboration between composers and pianists–resulting in the world premiere of several new works.
An avid collaborative pianist, Laura enjoys playing in small and large ensembles including orchestras, chorales, instrumental duos, chamber groups, opera, and musical theatre productions. Laura participated in the Mark Morris Dance Accompaniment training program, accompanying ballet, modern, tap, and jazz dance styles. Her master’s independent research project also focused on dance accompaniment, specifically for ballet technique class. Laura’s research also includes her experience at the Boulanger Initiative, where she compiled research on women and gender-marginalized composers for the only database of its kind, which gathers 8,000 works by more than 1,200 composers.