British cellist Laura MacDonald now lives in Germany and can look back on a varied musical career. She studied in London at the Royal College of Music Junior Department with the late Michal Kaznowski before graduating with First Class Honours and the Regency Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Royal Academy in 2020. She then completed her Master's degree with Honours in Adrian Brendel's class at the Guildhall School of Music in 2022. After her time in London, she continued her studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Hanover.
A passionate chamber musician, she has performed throughout the UK, including at Wigmore Hall, Milton Court and St James Piccadilly. Recently she has participated in the IMS Prussia Cove Masterclass and Open Chamber Music Seminar, Maiastra Chamber Music, Whittington Festival, ChamberLab Montecastelli, Ensemble Modern Young Academy and the International Holland Music Sessions. She has also performed with chamber music ensembles in Europe, including O Modernt and Das Neu Ensemble.
Laura also performs with Mad Song, a London-based contemporary music ensemble, with whom she participated in the semi-finals of the Royal Overseas League Competition and the High Barnet Chamber Music Festival and recorded her debut CD. She is also a member of the newly founded Trio Claudel, a piano trio in Salzburg.
As an orchestral musician, she has performed with the City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Since September 2024 she has been a member of the Kurt Masur Academy of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra.
Laura plays a Dutch cello by Pieter Rombouts from 1720, which was lent to her by a private individual.