Laurel Gagnon
Violinist Laurel Gagnon’s performances have been praised for their “naturalness that [is] both disarming and distinctive” (The Straits Times, Singapore). Performing as a soloist and chamber musician, she is currently based in New York City. Equally at home performing traditional repertoire and premiering new works, she especially enjoys exploring works written by women of previous centuries.
Laurel won first prize at the 2025 Dallas International Violin Competition and was awarded top prizes at the Elmar Oliveira and Singapore international violin competitions. As a chamber musician, she is the founding violinist of Vinola Trio, an award-winning clarinet-violin-piano ensemble that emphasizes contemporary repertoire. A recent graduate of the Yale School of Music under the mentorship of Augustin Hadelich, she previously studied with Ben Sayevich and Mauricio Fuks.
Passionate about engaging with local communities, Laurel worked extensively with Indiana University’s Center for Rural Engagement, where she collaborated with community partners to present public performances in libraries, schools, and senior centers. She also participated in Indiana University’s Fairview Violin Project, introducing the violin to elementary students, and was a teaching artist with Yale’s Music in Schools Initiative. She performs on an 1809 Lupot violin, generously on loan from Canimex Inc., Drummondville, Québec, Canada.
As part of her fellowship with Ensemble Connect, Laurel teaches at Brooklyn Technical High School.
