Laura Young

Univ.-Prof. Laura Young is a renowned classical guitarist and professor at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria, where she has been since 2014. Previously, she held a professorship at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) in Barcelona from 2003 to 2014. She is celebrated as a soloist and chamber musician, known for expanding the expressive potential of the classical guitar through innovative transcriptions and contemporary repertoire.

Her education includes a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto under Eli Kassner, followed by studies with David Russell and Hubert Käppel at the Musikhochschule in Köln. She has performed worldwide in prestigious venues such as the Alte Oper (Frankfurt), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), and Teatro IFT (Buenos Aires).

• Founder and Artistic Director of the Amsterdam International Guitar Festival (1997–2001)
• Founder of the Trio de Cologne with Zoran Dukić and Pablo Marquez
• Collaborator in the Lagrimosa Belta duo with mezzo-soprano Frances Pappas

Her research focuses on interpreting classical works for cello and violin by composers like Max Reger, translating their expressive traditions to the guitar. She has premiered compositions by Sergio Assad, Carlo Domeniconi, and others, inspiring new works through her innovative style.

• Recipient of the Pasticcio Prize 2018 for her album Laura Young Plays Max Reger
• Winner of the Andrés Segovia Competition (Palma de Mallorca) and Jacinto e Inocencio Guerrero Competition (Madrid)

Her discography includes recordings with Trio de Cologne, Lagrimosa Belta, and solo works. She continues to push the boundaries of guitar performance through collaborations and new repertoire explorations.