Violinist Dr. Laura Tagawa is active as both a performer and teacher. She is a member of the Arizona Opera Orchestra, Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Repertory Orchestra and previously with orchestras in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, British Columbia (Canada), and Hiroshima (Japan). She currently freelances in Arizona where she performs with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Tucson Pops Orchestra. She has performed at opera festivals in Mexico and Colombia with the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra. She serves as orchestra librarian for the Arizona Opera Orchestra and is a member of the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association. In addition, she has played baroque violin with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra and with members of Tafelmusik at the Scotia Festival of Music as well as in master classes for Stanley Ritchie, Rachel Podger, and Marc Destrube. As a chamber musician she has performed with her husband, Toru, and son, Max, in their groups, Duo Tutti and the Tagawa Trio in the United States, Canada and Japan.
Laura maintains a private violin studio in Tucson, Arizona and is a registered Suzuki violin teacher and Past-President of the Arizona Suzuki Association. She completed long term Suzuki training in violin at Northern Arizona University with Dr. Louise Scott. She has taken additional Suzuki training courses with Ronda Cole, Winifred Crock, Bill Dick, Daphne Hughes, Susan Kempter, John Kendall, Laurie Scott, Kathleen Spring, Beth Titterington, and attended Summer School in Matsumoto, Japan.
Laura received a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Northern Arizona University, a Master of Music in Performance from Florida State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance (Minor in Education) from the University of Arizona. Her main teachers include Louise Scott, Karen Clarke, and Mark Rush.