Trombonist Isabel Laurel is known for her pure, lyrical sound and intuitive musical instinct. She is currently studying at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee (BoCo) with trombonist Norman Bolter. Laurel is based in Boston, playing both classical and jazz trombone in BoCo’s and Berklee’s numerous ensembles and programs. Outside of these ensembles, she plays in a trombone trio with her studio mates and the TromBoCo Ensemble.

Prior to her transfer to BoCo, Laurel attended the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music where she studied with trombonist Jeremy Wilson. Beyond the scope of her trombone playing, she also studied advanced aural skills and the teaching of the Suzuki method under the direction of Dr. Fred Sienkiewicz. Laurel also studied with jazz trombonist Nick Laufer, investing in her interest in improvisation and combo performance. A special highlight from this time of her career was two performances of Mozart’s Requiem as the Tuba Mirum soloist with Maestro Ernesto Estigarribia Mussi and the Vanderbilt University Orchestra.

Before attending college, Laurel grew up in the Twin Cities area and was active in music. She studied with Minnesota Orchestra Principal Trombonist R. Douglas Wright, local bass trombonist and educator Dr. John Froelich, Norman Bolter, and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Professor of Trombone Dr. Phil Ostrander. She was a member of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) Symphony and Philharmonic, playing under the batons of Maestro Mark Russel Smith and Maestro Ernesto Estigarribia Mussi, respectively. In the summer of 2022, she attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Trombone Workshop, where she studied with Boston University Associate Professor of Trombone Dr. Don Lucas and Boston Symphony Orchestra Principal Trombonist Toby Oft.

She plans to record an EP and continue sharing about music and her life on social media. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and painting, reading, writing, playing tennis, playing piano, thrifting, and exploring Boston!

Laurel is proud to be an Edwards artist and to play Griego mouthpieces. To learn more about her horn and set-up, visit https://www.edwards-instruments.com/artists/isabel-laurel/.