Laura Sewell

From 2007-2016, cellist Laura Sewell was a member of the esteemed Artaria String Quartet. In recent seasons, the quartet was appointed as one of Minnesota Public Radio’s ensembles-in-residence, was featured on Twin Cities Public Television’s “Minnesota Originals” series, and performed the complete Shostakovich quartet cycle to critical acclaim. Earlier in her career, Ms. Sewell was the founding cellist of the award-winning Lark Quartet. During her tenure in that ensemble the quartet served as the graduate string quartet-in-residence at the Juilliard School and had a teaching residency at San Diego State University.  As a student she attended summer festivals at Aspen, Tanglewood, Interlochen, Meadowmount, and Aldeburgh. She also had the unique opportunity, at the age of 17, to spend half a year in London studying with the legendary cellist, Jacqueline duPre.
Ms. Sewell has performed concertos and appeared in solo recitals in New York and throughout the Midwest, including the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series on WFMT in Chicago. She has appeared on American Public Media’s “Saint Paul Sunday” and on “A Prairie Home Companion” on several occasions.  Since 1993 she and renowned jazz pianist, Butch Thompson, have performed together as a duo and have recorded a critically acclaimed album. She has had solo cello works written for her by distinguished composers Paul Schoenfield, Stephen Paulus and Steve Heitzeg.