Laura Motchalov
Second Violin
William & Sarah Galbraith Chair

Canadian violinist Laura Motchalov joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra during the 2003-2004 season. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree and Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Insitute of Music.

Laura comes from a very musical family. Her father is a violinist, and her brother is a pianist. She began studying the violin at the age of four and by the age of six, was accepted into the Mount Royal College Conservatory of Music program in Calgary. As a teen, she won many awards at the local, provincial and national levels. She won the Provincial Grand Prize award in Alberta in 1997 as well as prizes at the Austrian-Canadian Mozart Competition and the Canadian Music Competitions. In 2001, she won Second Prize at the Corpus Christie International Concerto Competition in Texas.

Throughout the years, she has participated in many summer music festivals such as the Indiana String Academy, Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival, Keshet Eilon, Spoleto USA, National Repertory Orchestra and the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival. She has studied with William Preucil, Linda Cerone, Zvi Zeitlin, Oleh Krysa, Edmond Agopian, Steven Bryant and Dr. Lise Elson. She has also studied chamber music with members of the Ying Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, and the Cavani Quartet.

Laura is very active as both a chamber musician and soloist. Locally, she often collaborates with other members of the PSO and is also a member of the new music ensemble, IonSound Project. In the past, she was a member of the Atlantica trio in Rochester and toured New York State and New Jersey. She has appeared as a soloist with the Calgary Civic Symphony Orchestra, the
National Repertory Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

When not playing the violin, Laura enjoys hiking in the mountains, biking, running, reading and trying new restaurants.