Press Kits
Please click on the title you desire to be redirected to the appropriate press kit (alphabetical order):
Classical Vocalist
Jazz Vocalist
Music Educator/Professor
Press Kit as a Classical Vocalist
Available on this portion of Laura's website are her short biography, full biography (printable version appearing in a new window), downloadable photos, and MP3s with selections of her work as a Mezzo Soprano. Thank you for visiting. Please contact Laura at the link above if you'd like to speak with her about future engagements.
Short Biography:
Laura Harrison, mezzo-soprano, is originally from Vancouver, B.C., Canada. She completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at USC. She has been a member of the Pacific Chorale and John Alexander Singers since 2001 and a member of "de Angelis Vocal Ensemble" since 2006. She is a professional singer in the Los Angeles area and receives much joy from participation in community concerts and has a reputation in Orange County as a Classical Lyric Mezzo Soprano that specializes in Early Music (Bach, Handel, etc.). Dr. Harrison is far from idle in her career. She has increased her private vocal studio (and has a wait list) where she teaches vocal technique, classical voice, jazz voice, improvisation, music theory, aural skills, and whatever else the student requires.
Full Biography (Click here for printable version):
Laura Harrison, mezzo-soprano, is originally from Vancouver, B.C., Canada. She completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at USC. She has been a member of the Pacific Chorale and John Alexander Singers since 2001 and a member of "de Angelis Vocal Ensemble" since 2006. She was the soloist for Osvaldo Golijov's "Oceana" in the Pacific Chorale performance in 2007. In 2011, she was a soloist in the John Alexander Singers staged performance of David Lang's Pulitzer-winning piece "The Little Match Girl Passion."
She is a professional singer in the Los Angeles area and receives much joy from participation in community concerts and has a reputation in Orange County as a Classical Lyric Mezzo Soprano that specializes in Early Music (Bach, Handel, etc.). She has sung regularly on a Bach concert series in the City of Orange under the direction of Bill Heide for the past four seasons and looks forward to their 2011-2012 concert series where she will perform BWV 67, 130, and 180. Dr. Harrison has performed BWV 5, 6, 12, 34, 71, 79, 100, 169, 170, and 227 under Mr. Heide's direction. Additionally, she performed BWV 11, Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen; and BWV 70: Wachet! betet! under the direction of Dr. Stephen Gothold in 2010.
Dr. Harrison is far from idle in her career. She has increased her private vocal studios (and has a wait list) where she teaches vocal technique, classical voice, jazz voice, improvisation, music theory, aural skills, and whatever else the student requires. She teaches in the cities of Irvine and Newport Beach, CA.
Downloadable Photos
To Download Photos: Click on selected photo link below: |
 |
| Small (Web) |
| Large (Print) |
MP3s (right-click on the links to download)
These are all live, unaltered recordings.
BWV 11: Alto Aria (Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben)
Songs of Ariel (Frank Martin): The a cappella ensemble "de Angelis Vocal Ensemble" performing as I sing the solo (You are three men of Sin)
Pergolesi "Stabat Mater Alto Aria (Fac, Ut Mortem)
Press Kit as a Jazz Vocalist
Available on this portion of Laura's website are her short biography, full biography (printable version appearing in a new window), press quotes (printable version appearing in a new window), downloadable photos, and a music player with exerpts from her CD "Now....Here." Thank you for visiting. Please contact Laura at the link above if you'd like to speak with her about future engagements.
Short Biography
Laura Harrison, director of the California State University, Fullerton Jazz Singers, is originally from Vancouver, B.C., Canada. She completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at USC. She has been a member of the Pacific Chorale and John Alexander Singers since 2001 and a member of "de Angelis Vocal Ensemble" since 2006. In August of 2010, she debuted her first jazz CD that has been played in forty-three states and thirteen countries, climbing to #18 on the CMJ Jazz National Chart. Her heaviest radio play areas are fourteen stations in the greater New York City area, followed by Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Memphis Tennessee. She is in demand as a vocalist, private voice instructor, and educator throughout the L.A. and Orange County areas.
Says Geannine Reid of EJazzNews: "Harrison has put together a skillfully crafted offering with every part of the musical jazz spectrum weaved into a brilliantly colored canvas. A strong debut from a seasoned professional, Laura Harrison is certainly Now…Here and we are keeping her."
Full Biography (Click here for printable version):
Laura Harrison was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In college, her initial focus was actually opera. She was drawn to the jazz department when she heard one of the singers in the jazz choir improvise for the first time and desperately wanted to know how to do it herself. She was accepted into the jazz choir because of her exceptionally wide range and that’s where her journey began.
Since then, Laura dedicated herself to becoming an excellent musician. Working hard to learn the fundamentals of theory and sight reading made her a great teacher in these fields. Through her college years she tutored in theory and sight reading and to this day teaches musicianship classes. After her two Bachelor degrees, Laura was a teacher in Canada and met a man that would change her life: Shelly Berg, head of the jazz department at the University of Southern California. Mr. Berg auditioned her and she was accepted into the program where she completed her Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts Degrees in Jazz Studies with a near perfect GPA.
Most of Laura’s peers were performing in small gigs around town and jam sessions to improve their skills. Laura wasn’t afforded that luxury because of her particular situation: she was a Canadian who wanted to stay permanently in the United States after graduation. She needed a sponsor and the money to hire a lawyer. Laura had to skip the jam sessions and other networking options for higher paying classical gigs. Laura’s technique has allowed her to become well known in the classical music circles in Los Angeles and Orange County as a Lyric Mezzo Soprano.
While at USC, she was approached to direct Tustin Presbyterian Church’s children’s choir. She accepted, but then needed a green card. Setting the wheels in motion, the church volunteered to be her sponsor, but she also needed an attorney. Like many people, she hired one she found in the Yellow Pages. To her horror, the slick Beverly Hills attorney turned out to be a crook; he was not even licensed! He cheated her out of $6,000, did not file the proper paperwork, and made Laura a “criminal” with an expired temporary visa after a year. Laura’s friends rallied and helped her find a new lawyer to rectify matters --at $375 an hour. It took three and a half more years and spending more than her life savings to fix the mess. After endless information searches, motions, petitions, and paperwork, she earned the right to be here and work, enter competitions, and have a life.
She feels it is an honour to be here and work as a musician in this country and plans to become a U.S. citizen. Recording a jazz CD has always been a dream of hers, and now that dream can help achieve another dream; to get out from under the mountain of debt. And so, Laura Harrison is Now...Here.
In August of 2010, she debuted her first jazz CD that has been played in forty-three states and thirteen countries, climbing to #18 on the CMJ Jazz National Chart. Her heaviest radio play areas are fourteen stations in the greater New York City area, followed by Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Memphis Tennessee. She is in demand as a vocalist, private voice instructor, and educator throughout the L.A. and Orange County areas.
Says Geannine Reid of EJazzNews: "Harrison has put together a skillfully crafted offering with every part of the musical jazz spectrum weaved into a brilliantly colored canvas. A strong debut from a seasoned professional, Laura Harrison is certainly Now…Here and we are keeping her."
Press Quotes (Click here for a printable version):
"Canadian cum California girl Laura Harrison is blessed with a perfect mid-range alto that is sharply defined and true...What's special is the eutection of Harrison's carefully schooled craft regarding melody and her "no fear" attitude toward taking chances...The singer's clever combination of her "Reflections" and Cole Porter's "I Concentrate on You" complement one another very well, accented by bassist Kevin Axt's deft walking. It is proper that Laura Harrison has her say musically.”
“My goal as a vocalist is to use my voice as a vehicle to deliver a sincere interpretation of the message of the lyric and to honour the chord changes when I solo,” says Laura of her work. Well Laura; mission accomplished!...Now …Here is a wonderfully diverse and texturally engaging CD. Harrison’s debut is a strong calling card into the national marketplace and Harrison is definitely up to the task...On this auspicious debut Harrison splashes onto the scene with a positive imprint."
“Laura Harrison is a mezzo-soprano who performs both classical and jazz repertoire, on her debut album Now....Hereshe focuses her talents on the jazz songbook [with just a single dip into the classical], performing with two different trios across the dozen tracks. Ms. Harrison has a singular voice, it tends to ride high over the musicians instead of being in there with them, which makes for a distinctive vocal style that is a little unexpected...Indeed, Now....Here was funded by sponsorship, with hundreds of her fans and friends pre-buying a copy of the album - and the recording costs of each track were also sponsored. This certainly shows the level of confidence and admiration for her vocal skills. I think if you admire the vocal talents of Cleo Lane then I think you may well find this album to your tastes too.”
Downloadable Photos
To Download Photos: Click on selected photo link below: |
 |
| Small (Web) |
| Large (Print) |
Music Player with exerpts from CD "Now....Here."
Press Kit as a Music Educator
Available on this portion of Laura's website are her downloadable letter of interest, downloadable curriculum vitae/resume, short biography, full biography (printable version appearing in a new window), press quotes (printable version appearing in a new window), downloadable photos, and a music player with exerpts from her CD "Now....Here." Thank you for visiting. Please contact Laura at the link above if you'd like to speak with her about future engagements.
Letter of Interest
Curriculum Vitae/Resume or go to the Resume Page for the online version.
Short Biography
Laura Harrison, director of the California State University, Fullerton Jazz Singers, is originally from Vancouver, B.C., Canada. She completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at USC. She has been a member of the Pacific Chorale and John Alexander Singers since 2001 and a member of "de Angelis Vocal Ensemble" since 2006. In August of 2010, she debuted her first jazz CD that has been played in forty-three states and thirteen countries, climbing to #18 on the CMJ Jazz National Chart. Her heaviest radio play areas are fourteen stations in the greater New York City area, followed by Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Memphis Tennessee. She is in demand as a vocalist, private voice instructor, and educator throughout the L.A. and Orange County areas.
Says Geannine Reid of EJazzNews: "Harrison has put together a skillfully crafted offering with every part of the musical jazz spectrum weaved into a brilliantly colored canvas. A strong debut from a seasoned professional, Laura Harrison is certainly Now…Here and we are keeping her."
Full Biography (Click here for printable version):
Laura Harrison was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In college, her initial focus was actually opera. She was drawn to the jazz department when she heard one of the singers in the jazz choir improvise for the first time and desperately wanted to know how to do it herself. She was accepted into the jazz choir because of her exceptionally wide range and that’s where her journey began.
Since then, Laura dedicated herself to becoming an excellent musician. Working hard to learn the fundamentals of theory and sight reading made her a great teacher in these fields. Through her college years she tutored in theory and sight reading and to this day teaches musicianship classes. After her two Bachelor degrees, Laura was a teacher in Canada and met a man that would change her life: Shelly Berg, head of the jazz department at the University of Southern California. Mr. Berg auditioned her and she was accepted into the program where she completed her Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts Degrees in Jazz Studies with a near perfect GPA.
Most of Laura’s peers were performing in small gigs around town and jam sessions to improve their skills. Laura wasn’t afforded that luxury because of her particular situation: she was a Canadian who wanted to stay permanently in the United States after graduation. She needed a sponsor and the money to hire a lawyer. Laura had to skip the jam sessions and other networking options for higher paying classical gigs. Laura’s technique has allowed her to become well known in the classical music circles in Los Angeles and Orange County as a Lyric Mezzo Soprano.
While at USC, she was approached to direct Tustin Presbyterian Church’s children’s choir. She accepted, but then needed a green card. Setting the wheels in motion, the church volunteered to be her sponsor, but she also needed an attorney. Like many people, she hired one she found in the Yellow Pages. To her horror, the slick Beverly Hills attorney turned out to be a crook; he was not even licensed! He cheated her out of $6,000, did not file the proper paperwork, and made Laura a “criminal” with an expired temporary visa after a year. Laura’s friends rallied and helped her find a new lawyer to rectify matters --at $375 an hour. It took three and a half more years and spending more than her life savings to fix the mess. After endless information searches, motions, petitions, and paperwork, she earned the right to be here and work, enter competitions, and have a life.
She feels it is an honour to be here and work as a musician in this country and plans to become a U.S. citizen. Recording a jazz CD has always been a dream of hers, and now that dream can help achieve another dream; to get out from under the mountain of debt. And so, Laura Harrison is Now...Here.
In August of 2010, she debuted her first jazz CD that has been played in forty-three states and thirteen countries, climbing to #18 on the CMJ Jazz National Chart. Her heaviest radio play areas are fourteen stations in the greater New York City area, followed by Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Memphis Tennessee. She is in demand as a vocalist, private voice instructor, and educator throughout the L.A. and Orange County areas.
Says Geannine Reid of EJazzNews: "Harrison has put together a skillfully crafted offering with every part of the musical jazz spectrum weaved into a brilliantly colored canvas. A strong debut from a seasoned professional, Laura Harrison is certainly Now…Here and we are keeping her."
Press Quotes (Click here for a printable version):
"Canadian cum California girl Laura Harrison is blessed with a perfect mid-range alto that is sharply defined and true...What's special is the eutection of Harrison's carefully schooled craft regarding melody and her "no fear" attitude toward taking chances...The singer's clever combination of her "Reflections" and Cole Porter's "I Concentrate on You" complement one another very well, accented by bassist Kevin Axt's deft walking. It is proper that Laura Harrison has her say musically.”
“My goal as a vocalist is to use my voice as a vehicle to deliver a sincere interpretation of the message of the lyric and to honour the chord changes when I solo,” says Laura of her work. Well Laura; mission accomplished!...Now …Here is a wonderfully diverse and texturally engaging CD. Harrison’s debut is a strong calling card into the national marketplace and Harrison is definitely up to the task...On this auspicious debut Harrison splashes onto the scene with a positive imprint."
“Laura Harrison is a mezzo-soprano who performs both classical and jazz repertoire, on her debut album Now....Hereshe focuses her talents on the jazz songbook [with just a single dip into the classical], performing with two different trios across the dozen tracks. Ms. Harrison has a singular voice, it tends to ride high over the musicians instead of being in there with them, which makes for a distinctive vocal style that is a little unexpected...Indeed, Now....Here was funded by sponsorship, with hundreds of her fans and friends pre-buying a copy of the album - and the recording costs of each track were also sponsored. This certainly shows the level of confidence and admiration for her vocal skills. I think if you admire the vocal talents of Cleo Lane then I think you may well find this album to your tastes too.”
Downloadable Photos
To Download Photos: Click on selected photo link below: |
|
| Small (Web) |
| Large (Print) |
Click here for music Player with exerpts from CD "Now....Here."
