Laura M. Kramer (b. 1984) is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Composition at the University of Southern California. She holds a Master of Music in Composition from Indiana University (2008), and a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance and Music Theory/Composition from West Chester University of PA (2006). She began clarinet at age 8, saxophone at age 9, and has been doubling on both since. Saxophone teachers include Anthony Kurdilla and Gregory Riley, and composition teachers include Claude Baker, Don Freund, Michael Gandolfi, Jeffrey Hass, Robert Maggio, Larry Nelson, Mark Rimple and Frank Ticheli. Composition master classes: Cindy Cox, Richard Hundley, David Ward-Steinman, Scott Wheeler. Saxophone Master classes: Frederick Hemke, Steven Mauk, Joseph Murphy, Otis Murphy, Marshall Taylor.
Active as a performer/composer, Laura has both performed and had works performed at North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences and the Kimmel Center for the Arts- Philadelphia, PA. She has also performed at the Holywell Music Room in Oxford, England, and her works have been featured at the International Women’s Electroacoustic Listening Room Project (California State Fullerton), Midwest Composers Symposium, Midwest Graduate Music Consortium, SEAMUS National Conference, and University of Louisville's Comstock Hall. She has arranged music for Otis Murphy, the Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus, the IU Kids Compose Project- performed by the IU Symphony Orchestra under Steven Smith, and had readings with the IU Contemporary Vocal Ensemble under Carmen Tellez, Network for New Music, and West Chester University Symphony Orchestra. She was selected as a finalist in the 2008 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards.
Laura has served as graduate assistant director of the Indiana University New Music Ensemble, as well as guest production manager for Alarm Will Sound. Most recently, she has written music for the IU Theatre Department's production of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband. www.laurakramermusic.com