Laurel recorded for the program in Los Angeles, CA in January 2024. She will appear on Show 447, airing the week of April 29, 2024.

Laurel Harned (guitar), 17, lives in Redlands, California. She began her guitar studies at the age of nine under the direction of Susan Graves, and recently became a student of Jack Sanders. Laurel received first prize in the 2023 Denver International Youth Competition, held during the annual Denver Guitar Festival, where she was also the youngest semi-finalist to compete in the Josephina P. Tuason International Guitar Competition. In addition, Laurel was selected as a semifinalist in the 2022 and 2023 James Stroud National Classical Guitar Competition at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In June of 2023, she attended the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute held at Oklahoma City University, where she spent ten days studying closely with the Romero Quartet, performing solo, and in ensembles, masterclasses, and private lessons. She has completed the highest level in the Certificate of Merit theory and performance exams with state honors, and was invited to audition for the Music Teachers’ Association of California’s Young Artist Guild. She has been fortunate to have studied and participated in masterclasses with musicians such as Ana Vidovic, Los Romeros, The Beijing Guitar Duo, Jonathan Leathwood, Jason Vieaux, and more. In October of 2023, Laurel will perform with five other young musicians from around the country in the invitation-only ‘Pre-College Guitar Virtuosos’ masterclass given by Manuel Barrueco, held at the Peabody Institute of Music.

In addition to guitar, Laurel enjoys teaching a few beginner guitar students, outdoor activities such as backpacking and running, and helping out on her family’s small farm.

Receiving the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award will allow Laurel to spend a month studying guitar in Spain next summer, as well as provide the opportunity for her to participate in additional festivals and competitions, network, and meet prospective teachers.