Lauren Mathews, 14, will begin her freshman year this fall at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. She began studying the cello with her teacher, Donna Rogers, at the age of 5. Lauren was the Junior Division winner of the 2016-17 Houston Civic Symphony Concerto Competition and was also the winner of the 2015 Houston Youth Symphony Philharmonic Concerto Competition. She has been a member of the Houston Youth Symphony since 2012. Lauren was a First Prize winner in both the Great Composers Art of the Strings Competition and the Cello Concerto Competition in 2016. Lauren has been a member of the TMEA Region 23 Symphony Orchestra for the past three years and served as principal cello for the past two years. Lauren has consistently earned superior ratings with honors at the ASTA Certificate Advancement Program since 2010. For two summers, Lauren participated in the National Cello Institute at Pomona College in Ontario, CA where she performed as a soloist as well as in several cello ensembles. Lauren has also attended the American Festival for the Arts Summer Conservatory as well as other summer institutes. This year Lauren is a Music Doing Good Scholarship recipient and will be using the scholarship to attend the Eastman Cello Institute in July.
