Laurel Harned (New York City)

About Laurel Harned

“Laurel Harned offers captivating performances combining technical mastery with heartfelt expression... Nuanced interpretations and an engaging presence have made Laurel a standout in the classical guitar world.” — Carmel Guitar Society

At just 20 years old, Laurel Harned is quickly establishing herself as one of the foremost emerging classical guitarists in America. A student of Manuel Barrueco at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University—a rare opportunity reserved for top-tier talent—she is training under one of the most revered classical guitarists of our time.

She holds first prizes in the 2023 Denver International Youth Classical Guitar Competition, the 2023 ASTA (Los Angeles), and the 2023 Riverside College District Guitar Competition. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Scholarship, underscoring her artistic potential and national recognition.

Her recent performances include a featured recital at the Redlands Forum in Southern California, where Community Forward Redlands wrote:

“Classical guitarist Laurel Harned took the stage … mesmerizing a standing room only audience … A rising talent … her skillful playing and deep musicality highlighted why she is gaining national recognition.”

She has also appeared as a featured artist with the South Bay / Carmel Guitar Society at the Pacific Grove Art Center—part of one of the oldest and most respected guitar societies in America—further solidifying her presence on the professional circuit. In July 2025, Laurel was a soloist with the Oklahoma Chamber Orchestra, performing the first movement of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez at the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute. In April 2024, she was featured on NPR’s From the Top in the episode “Musicians from Rural America.”

In 2024 she was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Volterra Project in Italy, one of the world’s most prestigious guitar residencies. She has recorded for Guitar Salon International and Siccas Guitars—two of the most influential classical guitar platforms worldwide—whose videos featuring her have collectively amassed nearly one million views online.

Laurel is an artist ambassador for Augustine Strings and Super Light Cases, and performs on a 2005 Andrea Tacchi guitar.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear one of the finest emerging talents America has to offer.

Program

Johann Sebastian Bach – Lute Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 997

I: Prelude

III: Sarabande

IV: Gigue

V: Double

Franz Schubert – Ständchen

Niccolò Paganini – Grand Sonata, Op. 39

I. Allegro Risoluto

Johann Kaspar Mertz – Hungarian Fantasy

Manuel Ponce – Theme, Variations, and Finale

Jordan Chase – Towards a Copper Sea

Toots Thielemans – Bluesette (arr. Roland Dyens)