Laura Byrne discovered her love for teaching early in life when teaching a friend to play the piano. She began her harp teaching while in graduate school in the preparatory division of CIM conservatory under the mentorship of her teacher Alice Chalifoux. Laura continues Chalifoux’s legacy of excellence in her own work and has been teaching at the college level since she graduated with her Master’s Degree. Laura Byrne has been teaching and performing at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since 2005.
Mrs. Byrne also maintains a private studio where she teaches children and adults to play.
Faculty artists Brooks de Wetter-Smith, flute, and Laura Smithburg Byrne Harp took the stage before a reduced orchestra for Mozart’s Concerto for Flute & Harp K.299. These are outstanding players, however, and their performances, singly and together, were absolutely first rate.” –
Mrs. Byrne networks with professional harpists and instructors from around the world. She continues to strive for excellence in teaching her students and in their performances. These students often receive special performance opportunities and scholarships. Mrs. Byrne encourages her students to participate in masterclasses with famous harpists and partake in private lesson opportunities with them to enrich their knowledge of the fine art of harp playing.
Laura attended the Salzedo Harp Colony in Camden Maine for 5 summers during her conservatory years. There she met dedicated harpists from all over the world, many of whom are leading performers and teachers today.
