Laura Kuhlman resides in Portland, Oregon and up until 2014, was active in Chicago, Illinois, where she spent many years as a freelance musician. From Bach to Broadway, Laura has enjoyed partnerships with several early music ensembles including the Burgundian Ensemble, Masqued Phoenix, and the Too Early Consort. She founded and led The Milwaukee Renaissance Band from 2009 - 2014. Laura has performed for the Portland Revels and with members of Piffaro for the Washington D.C., Revels. In December 2022, Laura played for the Portland Revels Children’s Show on recorders, flutes and bagpipes.
Laura is currently music director for the Portland Recorder Society and the Recorder Orchestra of Oregon and is past President of the national American Recorder Society. Laura has taught at many early music workshops around the US, Canada and in August 2019, in Steckborn, Switzerland. With Phil and Gayle Neuman, she returned for a second engagement with the Vernon Proms, Vernon, B.C. in July 2019. Laura also performs, leads and arranges music for the lively medieval band, Musica Universalis, whose purpose is to play early music in unusual places and collaborations with other artistic disciplines. Their 2021 performance of Danse Macabre: The testament of François Villon, performed to sold out shows and was the weekend entertainment pick of the Willamette Weekly.
Laura is the musician scheduler and performer for the English Country Dance community in Portland and is a member of the rowdy horn section in the acclaimed Portland Megaband. She performs with the Portland based, Oregon Renaissance Band and the newly formed 19th century group, the Fireside Social Orchestra. Since 2021, Laura has been teaching online with Gayle and Phil Neuman. The trio teaches over 100 recorder, strings, and double reed players from all over the USA online each 10-week session. In addition, Laura teaches flute, saxophone, recorder, renaissance double reeds and renaissance bagpipes both at workshops and in her home studio. If there is not an instrument in her hands, Laura can be found roaming the hills and dales of Oregon on her beloved bicycle and creating glass trinkets in her glass kiln.
