Laura Camacho, DMA
About
Violinist Laura Speck Camacho maintains an active and varied performing and teaching career. She is currently on the violin faculty at Western Washington University and served previously as Instructor of Violin at the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp. She has held adjunct and assistant teaching positions at Vanderbilt University and Arizona State University.
Dr. Camacho has been a member of the Phoenix Opera, Des Moines Symphony, and Des Moines Metro Opera, and has performed regularly with The Phoenix Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Nashville Chamber Orchestra and Bellingham Music Festival. She has been featured as a soloist with Skagit Symphony and Benzie Symphony Orchestra, and has performed frequently as concertmaster with The Pacific Northwest Opera Orchestra and the Whatcom Chorale Sinfonia. Her diverse musical background includes performing backup violin to Kanye West, as well as touring nationally with Vince Gill and Amy Grant. World premiere performances include a bilingual opera by James DeMars featuring Carlos Nakai on Native American flute, and a work written by Ola Gjeilo for Grammy Award winning Phoenix Chorale, string quartet and piano. Dr. Camacho is committed to bringing chamber music to the community, and frequently appears in concert with the Bellingham Chamber Music Society, Trio Lumina, and Faculty Concert Series at Western Washington University. Most recently, Dr. Camacho was featured as part of Bellingham Music Club’s “Dynamic Duo” concert series, joined by her husband Gustavo Camacho on horn and Victor Cayres on piano.
Dr. Camacho holds a Bachelor of Music from Vanderbilt University, where she also holds a degree in Art and Art History. She earned her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Arizona State University, with a research specialty in body awareness and injury prevention for string players. In demand internationally as a professional string adjudicator, she also frequently presents masterclasses on musician wellness. Dr. Camacho has studied chamber music with members of the Emerson, Juilliard, Kronos and St. Lawrence String Quartets, and her principal teachers include Dr. Jonathan Sturm, Christian Teal and Dr. Katherine McLin.
Dr. Camacho can be heard on the album “Lanes” featuring music by Bruce Hamilton, and on King FM’s NW Focus Live “Piazzolla” music video.